Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said in statements to the German daily newspaper Bild that the Germans must “coexist with animals that try to dictate orders to us.” Regarding his proposal to transfer 20,000 heads of elephants to the European country, he explained, “This is not a joke,” adding that he “will not accept rejection” of this “gift.”
Botswana, a landlocked country in southern Africa, is home to the world's largest elephant population, about 130,000, which are often difficult to live with, according to the president, who pointed to attacks on people, villages and cultures. .
Criticism has been directed at the elephant hunting trophies purchased by wealthy Western customers from the German Environment Ministry, which is run by environmentalists.
Earlier this year, the ministry raised the possibility of imposing stricter restrictions on the import of these trophies due to poaching problems. A spokeswoman for the ministry told the French news agency today (AFP): “Within the European Union, we are discussing the possibility of expanding the import license requirement (…) to include other hunting trophies from protected animals.”
The spokeswoman added that Germany is one of the largest importers of hunting trophies in the European Union, so it bears a “special responsibility” in this regard.
As for the “gift” announced by Masisi, the German Environment Ministry said that “Botswana has not yet communicated” regarding the matter.
In 2019, Botswana lifted a comprehensive ban on hunting, which had been imposed five years earlier to reverse declining populations of elephants and other species.
Since then, Botswana has decided every year to set a quota on the number of animals that can be hunted, with commercial hunting also being an important source of local income.
Lifting the ban has drawn criticism from conservationists.
Last year, the country provided eight thousand elephants to Angola.
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”
