Botswana elephants Germany – ‘Germans should learn to live with the animals’
Botswana’s president has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany amid a dispute over the import of hunting trophies. Earlier this year Germany’s environment ministry raised the possibility of stricter limits on the import of hunting trophies over poaching concerns.
Botswana’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has warned Germany that he will send 20,000 elephants to the European country as a political dispute between the two continues.
This development comes after Germany’s environment ministry proposed stricter regulations on the importation of hunting trophies earlier this year.
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany as the countries argue over the import of hunting trophies.
— Hans von der Burchard (@vonderburchard) April 2, 2024
“No joke,” he told the German tabloid BILD on Tuesday.https://t.co/TrlF4hx2yc
President Masisi told German media that such restrictions would negatively impact Botswana’s citizens. He pointed out that conservation efforts have led to a significant increase in elephant numbers, and hunting serves as a crucial method to manage their population.
Addressing German newspaper Bild, Masisi said Germans should “live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to”. Botswana is home to over 130,000 elephants, representing about one-third of the global population. The increasing herds have been causing issues such as property damage, crop consumption, and posing threats to residents, Masisi told the paper, Bild.
In the past, Botswana has transferred 8,000 elephants to countries like Angola and has offered hundreds more to Mozambique to help control the elephant population.
“We would like to offer such a gift to Germany,” Mr Masisi said, adding it was not a joke and he would not take no for an answer.
Germany is the EU’s largest importer of African elephant trophies, and hunting trophies overall, according to a 2021 report by the Humane Society International.