Mmegi

‘Paradise in Peril’ recounts cost of elephant coexistence

Friend and foe: Elephants are the heroes of the country’s wilderness success story, but also its villains PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI
Friend and foe: Elephants are the heroes of the country’s wilderness success story, but also its villains PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI

As the country grapples with a booming elephant population, a government-backed documentary film argues for hunting and ivory sales. Paradise in Peril, a locally produced film places Batswana livelihoods at the centre of a global conservation battle, reports THALEFANG CHARLES

A year into the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) administration, Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi, has finally entered the contentious debate over hunting, conservation, and human welfare. Mmolotsi was officiating at the premiere of a new film titled Paradise in Peril in Gaborone’s Masa Cinema last week.

Commissioned by the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association (BWPA) and directed by Moabi Mogorosi of Abi Films, Paradise in Peril boldly challenges the international animal rights movement, taking a counter-narrative to the glamorous, animal interest conservation stories often led by Western celebrities.

Editor's Comment
Use social media to build, not destro

It is a warning flare to every Motswana who logs onto social media. As a country, we have reached a point where the line between robust debate and outright destruction has become dangerously blurred. At face value, Mabeo’s response, which seeks an apology and threat of a defamation suit, might seem severe to some. But we cannot ignore the context. The comment in question did not offer a policy critique or question a political decision.It...

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