Botswana has approved the slaughter of 23 elephants and other wild animals for meat during celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence, a move that has drawn condemnation from animal-rights and conservation organisations.
The Elephant Protection Society said serving elephant meat at anniversary events could weaken conservation efforts and create incentives for poaching. The plan has also raised hygiene and disease concerns as Botswana contends with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Local officials are urging authorities to ensure the meat is processed and distributed under safer conditions.
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Home to more than 130,000 elephants, Botswana defends regulated hunting as a tool for managing human-wildlife conflict while raising money for local communities and conservation programmes. The policy remains deeply divisive: conservation groups question whether it can be sustained, while its supporters cite the damage elephants cause to crops, property and communities.
