A Coalition Of Groups Joins Forces To Oppose Namibia & Zimbabwe’s Horrific Wildlife Cull

A
coalition
of
animal
protection
and
conservation
organizations,
including World
Animal
News, Peace
4
Animals, Born
Free
USA, and Born
Free
Foundation, expresses
deep
concern
over
the
recent
announcements
by
several
African
nations
to
cull
large
numbers
of
elephants
and
other
species,
including
within
national
parks.
These
actions
threaten
the
survival
of
these
iconic
animals
and
jeopardize
the
integrity
of
critical
ecosystems.

In
late
August
2024,
Namibia
announced
plans
to
slaughter
723
wild
animals,
including
83
elephants—a
number
later
raised
to
a
staggering
1,002.
Soon
after,
Zimbabwe
followed
suit,
declaring
its
intent
to
kill
at
least
200
elephants.

The
brutal
measures
are
being
justified
under
the
guise
of
providing
meat
to
drought-stricken
communities,
alleviating
pressure
on
land
and
water
resources,
mitigating
human-elephant
conflict,
and
addressing
so-called
wildlife
overpopulation.
These
excuses
mask
the
devastating
impact
such
mass
killings
will
have
on
vulnerable
species
and
fragile
ecosystems.

However,
while
the
organizations
acknowledge
the
severity
of
one
of
the
worst
droughts
in
decades
in
southern
Africa,
the
killing
of
large
numbers
of
wild
animals
cannot
be
justified
for
the
following
reasons:

1.
Culling
fragile
wildlife
populations
to
feed
people
is
not
sustainable
and
cannot
provide
food
security
to
millions
of
people
requiring
food
assistance
during
a
prolonged
drought.
Distributing
meat
from
wildlife
can
also
drive
poaching
and
the
illegal
wildlife
trade.

2.
Culling
does
not
resolve
human-wildlife
conflict.
Rather,
it
further
threatens
fragile
wildlife
populations,
fractures
the
social
structure
and
stability
of
wildlife
populations
(e.g.,
elephants),
traumatizes
surviving
animals,
and
can
lead
to
aggression
towards
humans,
thereby
increasing
future
conflict.

3.
The
slaughter
of
elephants
results
in
the
stockpiling
of
tusks,
increasing
pressure
to
undermine
international
bans
on
ivory
trade
and
open
up
ivory
markets.
We
are
concerned
that
Namibia
and
Zimbabwe
have
been
at
the
forefront
of
efforts
to
reverse
the
international
ban
on
the
ivory
trade
to
generate
income.
This
would
inevitably
fuel
demand
and
increase
poaching
pressure,
with
devastating
consequences
for
remaining
elephants
across
their
entire
range.

4.
Killing
wild
animals
that
are
the
basis
for
the
tourism
economy
threatens
sustainable
livelihoods.
In
Zimbabwe,
tourism
is
the
third-largest
economic
sector
and
contributed
US$433
million
to
the
country’s
GDP.
This
industry
is
heavily
reliant
on
healthy
wildlife
populations
and
intact
protected
areas
and
could
suffer
significantly
from
the
culling
of
wild
animals.

5.
The
move
to
cull
elephants
is
a
major
policy
reversal.
It
was
carried
out
in
Zimbabwe
and
South
Africa
between
the
mid-1960s
and
the
mid-1990s,
but
was
abandoned
after
heavy
criticism
due
to
the
cruelty
and
trauma
inflicted
on
these
highly
intelligent
and
social
animals.

6.
African
savanna
elephants
are
categorized
as
Endangered
on
the IUCN
Red
List
of
Threatened
Species. Their
populations
have
declined
by
at
least
60%
across
the
continent
over
the
last
50
years.
While
southern
Africa
has
been
less
affected
by
these
declines
and
is
home
to
the
largest
populations
of
savanna
elephants,
claims
of
recent
population
growth
and
overpopulation
have
no
scientific
basis.
Recent
studies
show
that
the
populations
in
southern
Africa
have
remained
largely
unchanged
since
2014.

Wildlife
and
conservation
groups
are
deeply
concerned
that
the
proposed
culls
may
ultimately
serve
the
interests
of
those
who
seek
to
profit
from
the
commercial
exploitation
of
these
threatened
wildlife
populations.
In
addition,
such
actions
could
prioritize
financial
gain
over
the
protection
and
preservation
of
endangered
species.

The
Center
for
Natural
Resource
Governance
(CNRG)
in
Zimbabwe,
Zambia-based
African
Rivers,
and
the
South
Africa-based
Pro
Elephant
Network
have
also
expressed
concerns
regarding
the
proposals.

The
current
drought
affecting
parts
of
southern
Africa
is
devastating
for
both
people
and
wildlife.
Nevertheless,
the
governments
of
the
countries
concerned
are
not
devoid
of
resources
to
implement
effective
measures
to
address
the
problem
and
should
use
the
drought
as
an
opportunity
to
employ
stronger
land
governance
and
prioritize
sustainable
agricultural
production
among
smallholder
farmers
in
rural
areas.

We
note
that
experts
have
suggested
a
number
of
rational
and
sustainable
alternatives
to
address
the
effects
of
the
drought,
most
importantly,
the
provision
of
staple
food
such
as
grain
to
ensure
food
security.
In
addition,
a
wide
range
of
measures
and
policies
are
available
that
have
been
proven
effective
in
preventing
and
solving
human-wildlife
conflict
without
resorting
to
the
indiscriminate
killing
of
wild
animals.
These
measures
should
be
explored
and
implemented.

We
urge
the
governments
of
these
countries
to
abandon
their
culling
plans.
Instead,
they
should
allocate
resources
towards
proven,
humane,
and
sustainable
alternatives
that
address
the
challenges
faced
by
both
humans
and
wildlife.

We
also
call
on
donor
governments
and
agencies
to
link
the
provision
of
aid
to
the
implementation
of
effective
and
sustainable
measures
to
ensure
food
security
and
human-wildlife
coexistence,
while
also
protecting
increasingly
threatened
wildlife
populations.

You
can
find
the
list
of
organizations
uniting
to
condemn
the
elephant
and
wildlife
culls HERE!

Post
published
in:

Featured