Botswanans struggle to live with elephants and the number of elephants in the country has approximately surged to 130,000.
Amid escalating tensions over conservation policies, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has issued a stark warning to Germany, proposing to send 20,000 elephants to the European nation as a response to proposed restrictions on hunting trophy imports.
President Masisi expressed his frustration with Germany’s stance, stating, “It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana.”
He insisted that Germans should understand the challenges of living alongside elephants, as Botswana grapples with what he termed an “elephant plague.”
The dispute stems from Germany’s concerns about poaching and proposals for stricter limits on trophy imports. President Masisi defended hunting as a necessary tool for managing elephant populations in Botswana, where numbers have surged to approximately 130,000.
Speaking to German daily Bild, President Masisi criticised the proposal put forward by the German Environment Ministry, headed by Steffi Lemke of the Green party.
He asserted, “We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world, and even for Lemke’s party.”
Botswana has openly opposed the proposed restrictions, offering thousands of elephants to neighboring countries in an effort to address what Masisi described as a crisis.
He emphasized, “This is not a joke,” adding, “I would not take no for an answer.”
The president highlighted the challenges faced by local communities, including property damage, crop consumption, and safety concerns posed by elephant herds. He argued that a ban on trophy imports would exacerbate these issues and harm Botswanan livelihoods.
Despite Botswana’s objections, the German Environment Ministry indicated that no formal grievances had been raised directly. However, discussions between the two nations are ongoing as part of broader EU deliberations on wildlife protection and hunting practices.
With tensions mounting, the prospect of thousands of elephants being sent to Germany underscores the urgency of resolving the conservation dispute.
