Zimbabwe Wildlife Authority Insists On 200 Elephants Cull to Feed
Drought-Ravaged Population, Preserve Ecology
Mary Taruvinga, New Zimbabwe via AllAfrica
September 22, 2024
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks)
director general, Fulton Mangwanya has announced that culling of elephants
will go ahead despite strong criticism and from some conservationists.
He was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a signing ceremony of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ZimParks and Defend, a wildlife
protection organisation, held in Chizarira National Park in Binga Friday.
Mangwanya said he was getting pressure in form of threats and money offers
to stop the imminent programme.
"You know, when you are talking of the issue of culling, there are some
emotions which are actually stirred, which is nonsense," he said.
"....because if you look at the real issue, we have got a lot... a number
of elephants that is actually over the ecological carrying capacity of our
parks.
"We are going to cull 200 (elephants), but those that die because of
climate change are even more than 200. "So, if we count 200 and we find
it's not enough, we have got every sovereign right to kill more because we
have got over 85 000 elephants, almost close to 100 000. "We are supposed
to be having something like maybe around 60 000 or less, but you know,
people think otherwise, but we will do what we think is best for our
nation," he said.
ZimParks plans to cull 200 elephants, dry and distribute the meat to
starving communities around its national parks.
Systems that will determine eligible beneficiaries are already in place
according to the authority.
"We can't leave people dying of hunger when we have got overpopulation of
elephants. "Elephants which are destroying their own habitat, elephants
which are destroying habitat for other animals, elephants which are causing
erosion, elephants which are destroying everything and killing people.
"So indeed, we are going to count 200 elephants, and I don't think we will
listen toanything because right now I'm receiving quite a lot of these
reports, some are evenpledging to say we'll give you money so that you
don't kill the elephants.
"The number is not sustainable, and we believe in sustainable use as a
country, but because of these pushes from regional bodies ...we can't keep
on watching.
"We are suffering because of the good conservation that we have done in
Zimbabwe, or Southern Africa in general, and someone prescribes to say
don't do this, don't do this," he noted.
Mangwanya also said it is worrying to note the increase in human-wildlife
conflict.
"When people are being killed, like 60 who died last year, no one wants to
mention about it, no one wants to come with contribution to say where are
the children, where are the orphaned children, let's see was there a
breadwinner, they don't talk about that," he said.
Trade in ivory or elephant hide is impossible due to tensions fanned by
conservationists, the parks boss highlighted.
"Kill one elephant and they make noise, they even bar us from making money
out of the hides to sell the hides, we are not allowed to do that. So by
the end of the day, you'll find this is neo-colonialism in a way, because
Zimbabwe should be allowed to do what it wants.
"Right now, we are doing it internally, we want to kill, utilise the meat,
we are not exploiting, they still make noise. You send them to China, they
make noise. You say we want to sell the hides; they make noise.
"You want to sell the ivory, they make noise. So, by the end of the day as
a sovereign State we have to do what is good for our nation. We will not
watch and see our people dying of hunger, especially those surrounding the
parks where we have got these elephants.
"So indeed yes, we are going to kill 200 or even more if they don't
actually suffice the need," he said.
Zimbabwe is home to over 80 000 elephants with its biggest conservancy,
Hwange National Park, accommodating between 45 000 and 55 000 elephants
against a carrying capacity of 15 000.
ZimParks says the elephants are too many to an extent that they are
destroying their own habitat. The jumbos also move to human settlements in
search of food and water, which result in human wildlife conflict.
A total of 30 people were killed by wildlife this year, with elephants
accounting for 60 % of the deaths.