Namibia plans to kill more than 700 wild animals Including elephants, zebras and hippos, and distributing meat to food insecure people as the country faces its worst drought in 100 years.
The country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced on Monday that the list of animals to be killed includes 83 elephants, 30 hippos, 60 buffalo, 50 impalas (medium-sized antelopes), 100 so-called blue antelopes and 300 zebras.
They will come from national parks and outdoor areas in “sustainable hunting numbers” and will be killed by professional hunters, the ministry said in a news release.
The ministry said the aim of the programme is to help mitigate the effects of drought in the southwest African country. CNN.
Namibia declared a state of emergency in May as the effects of drought worsened. An estimated 1.4 million people – about half the population – are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
The ministry said the plan would ease pressure on water resources by limiting wildlife in areas where their numbers “exceed available pasture and water.”
The goal is also to reduce the potential for conflicts between elephants and humans, which can increase during drought, when the animals’ search for food and water can bring them into contact with humans.
The country is suffering from drought.
South Africa is home to more than 200,000 elephants. The animals have also been hit hard by drought: hundreds are believed to have died across the state last year as their water sources dried up.
The meat of other animals that will be killed will also be distributed to those suffering from hunger, according to the ministry, which noted that people living in rural areas are among those particularly affected.
The ministry said more than 150 animals had already been killed, providing a large amount of meat.
“We are pleased to be able to help the country at this very difficult time and when it is most needed,” the statement said.
Namibia is one of several countries in southern Africa suffering from a devastating drought caused by El Niño – a natural weather event that has sharply reduced rainfall in the region – and exacerbated by the man-made climate crisis.
Poor rainfall coupled with scorching temperatures has led to poor harvests and increased levels of hunger for tens of millions of people in the region.
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