P25.7 million made from 60 elephants

Elephants in the Chobe National Park PIC. THALEFANG CHARLES
Elephants in the Chobe National Park PIC. THALEFANG CHARLES

Botswana auctioned six licences on Friday to hunt a total of 60 elephants, the first to be allowed in since President Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted a five-year ban on big game hunting last May. 

Africa’s overall elephant population is declining due to poaching but Botswana, home to almost a third of the continent’s elephants, has seen numbers grow to 130,000 from 80,000 in the late 1990s. 

Botswana officials say hunting is necessary to ease conflict between animals and humans, especially farmers who have seen their crops and infrastructure destroyed by elephants roaming outside their feeding zones.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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