The government of Botswana has come under fire for authorising the killing of 23 elephants to provide meat for independence celebrations. The southern African country is marking the 60th anniversary of independence from Britain with nationwide festivities. A licence issued by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism allows the hunting of 23 elephants and other wild animals for "complimentary purposes".
Animal rights activists have expressed concerns that the decision could undermine conservation efforts. The Botswana-based Elephant Protection Society warns that slaughtering elephants for celebratory feasting could encourage poaching by creating the impression that killing elephants is acceptable when sanctioned by government. Chairman Oaitse Nawa told the BBC that elephants needed greater protection.
Several social media users in Botswana have also raised concerns about eating the game meat amid an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Authorities have imposed measures to contain the spread of the disease. Tshenatshe Monwela, an elder in Maun, a tourism town in north-western Botswana, suggested that his community should have received buffalo instead of elephants.
The game meat is expected to be served as part of traditional feasting associated with the Independence Day celebrations. The 23 elephants were allocated in eight districts across the country. Local media published images of residents gathering around elephant carcasses, with some sharing the meat.
In Chobe, a wildlife-rich district in northern Botswana, a local MP raised concerns about the distribution of the meat. MP Simasiku Mapulanga suggested that the meat should be processed into 5kg or 10kg packages to improve hygiene and ensure fairer distribution. He posted on Facebook, attaching photos of people scrambling for meat around an elephant carcass.
The decision has reignited a long-running debate in Botswana over how the country manages its huge elephant population. Botswana has more than 130,000 elephants, and communities living alongside them have complained about animals destroying crops, damaging property, and sometimes killing people.
The government has defended regulated hunting as one way of managing the elephant population and human-wildlife conflict while generating income for communities. Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi told parliament last year that special elephant quotas raised 15.6m pula ($1.1m; £820,000) in 2025 for projects in areas where elephants are found.
Key points
- The Botswana government authorises the killing of 23 elephants for independence celebrations, sparking criticism from animal rights activists.
- The decision could undermine conservation efforts and encourage poaching, according to the Elephant Protection Society.
- The government defends regulated hunting as a way to manage the elephant population and generate income for communities.
