Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni has hinted at the possibility of culling elephants due to their growing numbers, which are outpacing the capacity of the country’s forests.
The move is also aimed at addressing Zimbabwe’s escalating human-wildlife conflict.
Speaking during a parliamentary session yesterday, in response to a question by Hwange East legislator Joseph Bonda regarding the government’s plans to tackle the problem.
“Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need and more elephants than our forests can accommodate,” Minister Nyoni said, underlining the strain the current elephant population is placing on local ecosystems.
Bonda highlighted the alarming rise in elephant numbers, which now stand at approximately 100,000—double the recommended balance for the ecosystem.
He expressed concern over the resulting starvation and deaths of elephants due to overpopulation and the strain on resources.
“Considering the statistics of elephants, which is sitting at 100,000 in numbers and has doubled the recommended ecosystem balance in ratio against other habitants of the parks, which is also causing starvation and deaths of elephants; does the government have any plans to reduce the numbers by culling and feeding the meat to the schools, prisons, communities starving due to drought induced by El Niño, as CITES does not block us from consuming our own God-given meat?” asked Bonda.
In response, Minister Nyoni revealed that Zimbabwe is in discussions to follow Namibia’s example in managing its elephant population.
“We are having a discussion with ZimParks and some communities to do like what Namibia has done, so that we can count the elephants, mobilize the women to maybe dry the meat and package it to ensure that it gets to some communities that need the protein,” Nyoni said.
She added that the government is exploring ways to cull elephants within legal frameworks and contribute to the Presidential feeding schemes aimed at addressing protein deficiencies in vulnerable communities.
“The Ministry is working very hard to ensure that within the confines of the law, we can cull what is allowed for us to cull and be able to input into the Presidential feeding schemes to provide the protein. I want to thank the Member for that pertinent question,” she said.
Zimbabwe’s elephant population is the second-largest in Africa, but growing tensions between humans and wildlife have intensified calls for a sustainable solution.
While elephant culling remains a controversial topic globally, proponents argue that it is necessary to preserve ecosystems and address food insecurity in rural areas affected by drought and climate change.
