The Namibian government has announced plans to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, to alleviate food insecurity caused by a severe drought affecting southern Africa.
The cull aims to distribute meat to those struggling to access food due to the drought, which has exhausted 84% of Namibia’s food reserves.
The environment ministry stated that the cull will occur in areas where animal numbers exceed available resources, leading to human-wildlife conflicts. The targeted animals include: 83 elephants from conflict areas, 30 hippos, 60 buffalo, 50 impala, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebra and 100 eland.
Professional hunters and contracted companies have already hunted 157 animals, yielding over 56,800 kilograms of meat for the drought relief program. The environment ministry said that this exercise is necessary and aligns with their constitutional mandate to utilize natural resources for the benefit of Namibian citizens.
The region is home to one of the largest elephant populations worldwide, with over 200,000 elephants estimated to live in a conservation area spanning five southern African countries.
