30 hippos, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, 100 wildebeest, 300 zebras, 83 elephants: This is just a selection of animals that can now be killed in Namibia. The reason: an enormous drought in the country. The meat of the animals is to be distributed to people who currently lack the most basic necessities. This was announced by the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism on Monday. CNN was among the first to report on this.
The animals are to be killed by professional hunters. According to the plan, the animals will come from national parks and areas with sustainable wildlife populations. This affects regions where, according to estimates, the available water resources are being exceeded. “This measure is necessary and in line with our constitutional mandate to use our natural resources for the benefit of Namibian citizens,” the ministry writes.
Hunger Crisis Due to Drought
The ministry sees this approach as a prime example of how wildlife protection can be beneficial. “We are pleased that we can help the country in this very difficult time when it is absolutely necessary.”
The government in Namibia had declared a state of emergency — the country is experiencing its worst drought in years. An analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) organization predicted that from July to September, the situation of the population suffering from food shortages would worsen. This could affect about 1.4 million people, nearly half of the country’s population.
340,000 households were supported with food distributions, water supply, livestock breeding, and seed programs, according to a UN statement from July. However, resources are overstretched and cannot meet the growing need.
Conflicts with Elephants
According to the ministry, about 160 animals have already been killed, which has yielded nearly 60,000 kilograms of meat. The provision of meat improves people’s nutrition and contributes to poverty alleviation.
However, the culling of elephants has another reason: Their number is to be generally reduced to minimize conflicts between humans and the large animals. “Given the severe drought in the country, an increase in conflicts is to be expected if no intervention is made,” the ministry writes.