Elephant Hunt 2.0: Botswana Is Trying Again After Global Outcry
Botswana Makes Second Attempt to Start Commercial Elephant Hunts
Botswana, which has outraged conservationists by lifting a hunting ban on wildlife, is making a second attempt to restart commercial hunts for its elephant population, the biggest in the world.
The government issued a quota for the killing of 272 of the animals in 2020, of which foreign hunters will be allowed to shoot 202 elephants and export trophies. Seventy licenses will be reserved for Botswana nationals, according to government documents.
The auction for some of the licenses will take place soon, said Moeti Batshabang, deputy director of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The hunting season will last from April to September, spanning the dry winter when the African bush is thinner and animals are easier to find.
While the government said earlier this year it would allow the killing of 158 elephants by foreign tourists in the 2019 season, auctions for hunting licenses never took place.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi put elephants at the center of Botswana’s politics this year as he campaigned for October elections that the ruling party won. By lifting the hunting ban in May, Masisi broke ranks with his predecessor Ian Khama, who had garnered international praise for Botswana’s wildlife policies.
Botswana has about 130,000 of the animals nationwide. Farmers have complained of a growing number of incidents with elephants, which at times destroy crops and trample villagers to death. While hunting won’t meaningfully reduce the size of the elephant population, income from the sport can benefit local communities, according to the government.
Conservationists worldwide have opposed the changes, warning that tourists may go elsewhere. Tourism accounts for a fifth of Botswana’s economy.
By lifting the hunting ban, Botswana has brought itself in line with its neighbors. The number of hunting licenses are below the 400 cap it set itself, and compares with 500 licenses in Zimbabwe and 90 in Namibia. Zimbabwe has the world’s second largest elephant population.
The all-in cost of an elephant hunt typically involves several hundred dollars a day for the professional hunters who accompany the tourists, as well as accommodation and taxidermy fees. Hunts can last 10 to 18 days on average. Most trophy hunters in southern Africa come from the U.S. In Zimbabwe, the right to shoot an elephant costs at least $21,000.
To contact the reporter on this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: John McCorry at jmccorry@bloomberg.net, Pauline Bax
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