BOTSWANA - ENVIRONMENT
News: Why Botswana threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany
What's in the news?
●
Botswana’s President recently made headlines by
threatening to export 20,000 elephants to Germany in response to Germany’s
proposal for stricter limits on the import of hunting trophies.
Key takeaways:
●
Botswana boasts the world’s largest elephant population due to its stable government,
sparse human population, and strict conservation policies.
●
Conflict-driven poaching in neighbouring countries
redirected elephants to Botswana’s safer territory.
●
However, this abundance of elephants has led to
rising human-animal conflicts.
Concerns Ahead:
●
Botswana has responded by donating elephants to other countries, lifting the ban on trophy
hunting, and capitalizing on hunting revenue.
Steps Taken to Manage
Elephant Populations:
●
Botswana has been relocating Elephants to other
nations. For instance, Botswana transferred about 8,000 Elephants to Angola and, in 2022, sent 500 elephants to Mozambique.
●
Botswana reinstated trophy hunting in 2019 after a
previous ban.
●
Reintroducing trophy hunting not only helps control
the elephant population but also significantly benefits the local economy by
attracting international hunters.
●
Trophy hunting annually contributes approximately
$250 million to South Africa’s economy and sustains 17,000 jobs.
Trophy Hunting:
●
Trophy hunting involves killing wild animals for
their trophies, such as heads, hides, or other body parts, which are then kept
as souvenirs or displays.
Dilemma Associated with
Trophy Hunting:
●
Western countries and animal rights activists argue that trophy hunting is unethical and contributes to the decline of
already endangered species.
●
Critics contend that the economic benefits of
trophy hunting are overstated and that much of the revenue does not reach the
local communities due to corruption.
Benefits of Trophy
Hunting:
●
Regulated trophy hunting is advocated by some as
beneficial to the targeted species themselves.
●
The funds from affluent hunters are used for
conservation purposes and are also shared with local communities, helping to
prevent habitat destruction and enhance animal protection.
●
Trophy hunting accounts for up to 0.03% of the GDP in eight critical
African countries.
India and Trophy
Hunting:
●
In India, trophy hunting is banned. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits the hunting of wild animals,
including for trophies.
Go back to basics:
Botswana:
●
Botswana is a landlocked
nation in Southern Africa, and is predominantly covered by the Kalahari Desert, which spans about 70%
of its territory.
●
The country hosts the largest population of
elephants in the world, with an estimated 130,000 elephants.
●
It is Africa’s oldest
continuous democracy.
Important Takeaways:
●
Its landscape is defined by the Kalahari Desert and
the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal
floods.
●
The massive Central
Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating
grasslands, is home to numerous animals including giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas
and wild dogs.