Zimbabwe is facing a severe drought that has led to food insecurity, and to address this issue, the government has approved the culling of 200 elephants to feed its citizens.
Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, confirmed that the planned culling aims to provide food and reduce human-wildlife conflicts, which have resulted in over 30 human deaths this year.
The drought has worsened food insecurity in Zimbabwe, with the United Nations estimating that over seven million people are at risk of acute hunger. This has led to Zimbabwe being declared one of the “hunger hotspots” globally.
In a similar move, Namibia’s government has also approved a drought relief program, which includes the distribution of game meat to tackle food insecurity.
The Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism will contribute 723 animals, including hippos, buffalos, impalas, blue wildebeests, zebras, elephants, and elands, to support the drought relief efforts .
These measures aim to alleviate the impact of the drought on food security.
