Following a dispute with Germany over possible restrictions on the import of hunting trophies, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that 20,000 elephants would be shot.
“As you know, in April this year Botswana, with great respect, offered Germany 20,000 of our elephants,” Masisi told the Bild newspaper. He has “not received any response” from the federal government. His country, like southern Africa as a whole, is experiencing “the worst drought in 50 years,” the president said. “Our people are starving. The elephants are in danger of dying. If our people are starving, we have an obligation to feed them. And I can tell you openly: They also eat elephants.” Masisi still does not know when the first animal culls will begin.
The background is a heated debate in the spring about possible further restrictions on the import of hunting trophies. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Green Party) was considered a supporter and drew criticism from representatives of several African countries, especially Botswana. Botswana feared that further import restrictions could cause significant financial losses for its country. After the riots, the Botswanan president announced that he wanted to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in protest, but this did not happen.
