دولة أفريقية تعلن إعدام عشرات الفيلة.. ما السبب ؟

To reduce the number of elephants in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Wildlife Authority announced yesterday (Tuesday) the culling of dozens of elephants through euthanasia and the distribution of their meat to local communities.

Zimbabwe, located in the southern part of the African continent, has the second largest number of elephants in the world after Botswana.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) revealed in a statement that the culling operation in a vast protected area in the southeast of the country will initially target 50 elephants.

However, the authority did not specify the total number of animals that will be killed or the duration of the operation.

An aerial survey in 2024 showed that the reserve, known as Save Valley, is home to 2,550 elephants, which is more than three times its carrying capacity of 800 elephants, according to Zimparks.

At least 200 elephants have been relocated to other parks over the past five years.

The statement noted that the meat from the elephants culled during the management operation will be distributed to local communities, while the ivory will belong to the state and will be handed over to Zimbabwe Parks for safekeeping, as Zimbabwe cannot sell its stock of tusks due to the global ban on ivory trade.

It is worth mentioning that the announcement came after the arrest of four individuals in the capital Harare who were found with more than 230 kilograms of ivory, allegedly seeking a buyer for it.

In 2024, Zimbabwe culled 200 elephants due to an unprecedented drought that led to food shortages. This was the first major culling operation since 1988.

The move to cull elephants in search of food has sparked fierce criticism, especially since these animals are considered a major tourist attraction.