Botswana: One elephant costs 35’000 euros

Botswana is home to 135’000 elephants.

This landlocked country in southern Africa is home to the vast Kalahari Game Reserve and the famous Okavango Delta, two wildlife paradises. Botswana has undoubtedly become a sanctuary for the African elephant, as it shelters nearly one third of the highly endangered pachyderm population, estimated at 415’000 on the continent.

Against this backdrop, the announcement in December 2019 hunting licences to be auctioned off was shocking. This followed the decision made a few months earlier to lift the hunting ban that had been in place for five years. The first sale of licences took place on 7 February 2020 at the premises of the Ministry of the Environment in the capital Gaborone. Seven licences were sold, each permitting the killing of ten elephants.

35,000  euros per head

According to Kitty Block of the American NGO Humane Society, six lots were sold for just over two million euros, or 35,000  euros per head. According to Alice Mmolawa, an official wildlife conservation authority, this sale is reserved for local companies with proven experience in elephant hunting. She also told AFP that expeditions must be permanently accompanied by a guide and a professional hunter.

According to Kitty Block, Botswana is set to allow the hunting of a total of 272 elephants this year. Foreign recreational hunters may kill 202 of them and export the trophies.

Human-Elephant Coexistence

Farmers constantly complain about the damage that pachyderms cause to their crops. Sometimes the animals can even pose a deadly threat to local residents. The government therefore intends to limit their numbers through hunting. «We hope that the restoration of hunting will contribute significantly to reducing human-wildlife conflict by creating viable and balanced populations«, declared President Mokgweetsi Masisi in November 2019, when he announced the introduction of permits.

An argument that, according to animal welfare organizations, does not hold up. There are more peaceful, non-lethal ways to resolve the conflict. In South Africa in particular, the famous Kruger Park uses methods for immunocontraception .

Wealthy Clientele

The authorities also intend to develop luxury tourism around these hunts, which are reserved for more than affluent clients. The hunt costs the hobby hunter several thousand dollars per day and can last between 10 and 18 days. On top of the hunting permit, one must add the team, transport, and food. According to NGOs, however, corruption has prevented the local population from benefiting from this high-end tourism.

With the renewed authorization of hunting, Botswana has aligned itself with its neighbors. Namibia issues 90 permits, Zimbabwe 500. The safari tourist is a prized asset.