NAMIBIA has unveiled a controversial plan to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, as part of an urgent strategy to combat severe food shortages caused by a devastating drought, the worst in a century.
The southern African nation aims to distribute meat from the culled animals to communities grappling with hunger across the region. Namibia’s Ministry of Environment said the culling would occur in national parks and communal areas where animal populations have surpassed the available grazing and water resources.
This decision comes in response to one of the worst droughts the region has experienced in decades, which has left Namibia’s food reserves at critically low levels. According to United Nations data, Namibia has already depleted 84% of its food reserves last month, with nearly half of the country’s population expected to face high levels of food insecurity in the coming months.
“This exercise is crucial and aligns with our constitutional mandate to ensure that our natural resources benefit Namibian citizens,” the Ministry of Environment explained in a statement.
The culling operation will target a variety of wildlife, including:
– 83 elephants
– 30 hippos
– 60 buffalo
– 50 impala
– 100 blue wildebeest
– 300 zebra
– 100 eland
The meat derived from this operation will be channelled into the country’s drought relief programs to help alleviate food shortages.
As of the announcement, 157 animals have already been culled by professional hunters and contracted companies, yielding over 56,800 kilograms of meat for distribution.
While the culling plan aims to address the immediate food crisis, it is likely to spark debate among conservationists and animal rights activists concerned about the impact on wildlife populations, particularly endangered species like elephants.
The situation in Namibia highlights the complex challenges faced by countries balancing conservation efforts with the urgent needs of their populations during extreme climate events. As the region continues to grapple with the effects of drought, the international community will be watching closely to see how Namibia navigates this delicate balance between human welfare and wildlife preservation.
