What changed
Botswana authorised the hunting of 23 elephants and other wildlife to provide meat for celebrations marking 60 years of independence on 30 September 2026.
The elephants were allocated across eight districts for traditional feasting. Images show carcasses being distributed in some areas, but the government has not confirmed how many animals had been killed.
Why it matters
This turns a national celebration into a sharp test of Botswana’s wildlife policy. The country has more than 130,000 elephants, yet the government is allowing a small, clearly authorised hunt to become part of a public feast.
The practical problems are already visible. In Chobe, people reportedly gathered around an elephant carcass at a school to collect meat. MP Simasiku Mapulanga warned that the crowds could disadvantage elderly people, pregnant women and people with disabilities, while also raising hygiene concerns. Those concerns carry extra weight because the distribution is happening amid measures to contain foot-and-mouth disease.
The deeper dispute is about what government approval signals. The Elephant Protection Society says elephants need greater protection and warns that celebratory slaughter could make poaching appear acceptable when sanctioned by authorities. Officials have not yet publicly answered that criticism, so the conservation impact remains unsettled.
The immediate question is less whether elephant meat is legal than whether a tightly regulated hunt can be distributed safely and fairly during a national celebration. If the carcass-by-carcass system continues, congestion and hygiene problems are likely to remain; packaging the meat into standard portions, as Mapulanga suggested, would address some of those concerns.
Comments
No comments yet.