Elephant hunting is allowed in Botswana, even though the species is protected. The money spent by hunters to kill an animal is a revenue stream for the government.
In Botswana, tourists have come to see elephants in their natural state. A few months earlier, a photo of two American tourists who had just shot an elephant caused controversy. It was a “tusker”, an animal whose long tusks can weigh up to 50kg each. There are less than 40 of them left on the African continent. In Botswana, although the elephant is protected, its hunting is legal with quotas decided each year.
The hunt brought in 2.5 million euros in 2021
A hunter works for a trophy hunting company, for him the animals are pests. The locals are also allowed to kill a pachyderm in case of threat. Botswana has 130,000 elephants, the largest population in Africa, and cohabitation with the locals is becoming increasingly difficult. A villager was attacked in the fields. For animal rights groups, hunting disorganizes the herds and increases the risk of attacks. In 2021, elephant hunting brought in 2.5 million euros for the country.
