Providence Moyo
The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) has raised health concerns as the government moves forward with plans to cull 200 elephants in a bid to address overpopulation and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife recently announced the culling, citing the strain on resources caused by the growing elephant population.
CNRG is petitioning the government to reconsider the decision, warning that distributing elephant meat to citizens could expose them to zoonotic diseases. These diseases, which originate from animals, account for 75% of all emerging infectious diseases, with over 70% coming from wild species.
“By feeding citizens elephant meat, the government is exposing them to zoonotic diseases.The World Health Organization has warned that meat or by-products of wild animals are particularly high-risk due to the large number of new or undocumented pathogens found in some populations,” highlights the report
On 11 September, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr. Sithembiso Nyoni, told Parliament that Zimbabwe had more elephants than the environment could sustain.
“Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need and more than our forests can accommodate,” said Dr. Nyoni, justifying the culling decision.
However, CNRG argues that continued culling could trigger a rise in poaching and threaten the long-term survival of elephants. The group cautions that Zimbabwe’s elephant population, while large, is at risk of decline, which could negatively impact tourism,one of the country’s key economic sectors.
“The proposed slaughter of elephants could open the floodgates to poaching in a region where 28,000 elephants are killed by poachers annually.
Elephants are a national heritage, and future generations have the right to see them in their natural habitats. Contrary to claims of overpopulation, the elephant population is actually in decline, which is concerning for a country that relies heavily on tourism,” the report stated.
Zimbabwe’s elephant population stands at around 100,000, with some regions experiencing overpopulation. Conservationists suggest alternative solutions, such as translocating elephants or expanding their habitats. However, government officials argue that culling is essential for maintaining ecological balance and preventing further human-wildlife conflicts.
Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Angola, is home to over 200,000 elephants, making it one of the largest conservation areas for the species in the world. Despite the ongoing debate, Zimbabwe continues to weigh the benefits of culling against the potential risks to both human health and wildlife conservation.
