Zimbabwe to Cull 200 Elephants Amid Severe Drought and Food Shortages

Overview

• 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.