Zimbabwe has announced plans to cull 200 elephants in response to severe drought and ecological pressures, igniting a heated debate over wildlife management. Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni confirmed the decision last week, marking the country’s first elephant cull since 1988.
The cull will take place in several districts, including Chiredzi, Hwange, Mbire, and Tsholotsho, areas that have been hit hard by the ongoing drought, exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon. The drought has placed an estimated 7.6 million people at risk of hunger, according to the World Food Programme, heightening tensions between the country’s large elephant population and its fragile ecosystems.
With approximately 84,000 elephants, Zimbabwe’s elephant population far exceeds the 55,000 the country can sustain, according to Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Farawo emphasized that the decision to cull 200 elephants represents a minimal intervention given the scale of the overpopulation problem.
“If it were up to me, we’d do more,” Farawo told Newsweek, stressing that the cull is essential for maintaining balance in the ecosystem. The growing elephant population has not only strained the environment but has also increased human-wildlife conflicts. In 2023 alone, elephant attacks claimed the lives of 60 people in Zimbabwe, and the destruction of trees by elephants has made species like vultures particularly vulnerable.
The plan, however, has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights groups and conservation advocates, who argue that culling is not a sustainable solution to managing wildlife populations. Farai Maguwu, executive director of Zimbabwe’s Centre for Natural Resource Governance, expressed concern that the cull could facilitate illegal ivory trading and undermine conservation efforts. “Culling must be stopped,” Maguwu wrote on social media, adding that elephants have the right to exist and should be protected.
Elisa Allen, vice president of programs for PETA, also condemned the decision, calling for a more compassionate approach to addressing the ecological crisis. “The effects of drought are devastating, but humans are outdoing nature’s impact by choosing the most destructive way of dealing with it,” Allen said. She warned that culling elephants could destabilize their complex social structures and escalate conflicts between humans and wildlife.
Despite the opposition, Zimbabwean authorities plan to issue hunting permits during the dry season, with the meat from the culled elephants set to be distributed to communities affected by the drought. Officials argue that the cull is a necessary measure to prevent further environmental degradation and protect both human and animal populations.
As the debate continues, Zimbabwe’s decision to proceed with the cull highlights the delicate balance between wildlife management and ecological sustainability in a country struggling with the impacts of climate change and resource scarcity.
