Overview

• Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority will kill dozens of elephants in the coming weeks to reduce herd sizes that have surged beyond sustainable levels.
• Savé Valley Conservancy hosts about 2,550 elephants despite being designed for roughly 800 animals, creating severe overcapacity.
• In 2024, authorities culled 200 elephants amid drought-induced food shortages and have relocated at least 200 more over the past five years.
• Elephant meat from the upcoming cull is earmarked for local community consumption while all ivory will remain under state ownership.
• With Botswana only ahead of it, Zimbabwe now ranks second globally in elephant numbers, raising concerns over habitat sustainability.