Namibia plans to kill over 700 wild animals. to address severe food insecurity during its worst drought in a century, Namibia Govt declared a state of emergency in May, as the drought’s effects worsened, leaving about 1.4 million people—roughly half the population—facing severe food insecurity.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism revealed the culling will affect 83 elephants, 30 hippos, 60 buffalo, 50 impala, 100 blue wildebeest, and 300 zebras.
The animals will be sourced from national parks and communal areas with “sustainable game numbers” and will be killed by professional hunters, CNN reports.
This programme is designed to mitigate the drought’s impact by reducing wildlife numbers in areas where resources are strained.
The culling effort aims to ease pressure on water resources and prevent conflicts between elephants and humans, which often escalate during droughts.
“To this effect, 83 elephants from identified conflict areas will be culled, and meat will be allocated to the drought relief programme,” the ministry said.
Southern Africa, home to more than 200,000 elephants, has also seen significant losses among wildlife due to the drought. Meat from the culling will be distributed to those most affected, particularly in rural areas.
Over 150 animals have already been culled, providing more than 125,000 pounds of meat.
The ministry expressed relief at being able to assist during this challenging period, highlighting the severe hunger and water shortages impacting tens of millions across southern Africa due to El Niño and climate change.