When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers

The first opinion by Dr Michael Chase, a Motswana elephant researcher, makes some compelling points against lifting the hunting ban. He cites an example of the Chobe Enclave, where DWNP statistics reveal that Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) incidents are the same as when hunting was permitted, meaning that lifting the hunting ban would not alleviate the problem.

Rather than hunting, he posits that “a range of interventions, policies and incentives including education, recognising animal migration corridors, rapid response to conflicts and allocation of agricultural plots in appropriate areas and promotion of localised eco-tourism businesses” would be a more sustainable approach. Dr Chase also warns that reintroduction of hunting could cause irreparable harm to Botswana’s brand overseas and damage to tourism.