Zimbabwe to Cull 200 Elephants Amid Severe Drought and Food Shortages

The cull aims to alleviate hunger and reduce human-wildlife conflicts, but faces criticism from animal rights advocates.

Zimbabwe's elephant population exceeds 84,000, nearly double its estimated sustainable capacity of 45,000.
The cull, the first since 1988, will target areas with dense elephant populations such as Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi.
Authorities plan to distribute the meat from the culled elephants to communities suffering from acute food shortages due to the worst drought in decades.
Animal rights groups and conservationists argue that culling is a short-term solution and could lead to unsustainable demand for bushmeat.
Human-wildlife conflicts have intensified, with at least 31 people killed by elephants in Zimbabwe this year, highlighting the urgent need for population control.