The elephant in the room: Zimbabwe to cull 200 tuskers to feed the hungry

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe, which has faced severe hardship over the years due to debilitating sanctions on economic activity, has announced plans to cull 200 elephants to feed hungry communities affected by the El Niño-induced drought.

The prolonged dry spells have seen the landlocked country, which has the world's second-largest elephant population and was once known as the breadbasket of Africa, stretching out its begging bowl - spurring countries like Rwanda to donate 1000 metric tonnes of maize (corn) meal, a staple food in Zimbabwe.

The drought, according to Reuters, has wiped out crops in southern Africa, affecting 68-million people and causing food shortages across the region.

The global news agency said more than 200,000 elephants are estimated to live in a conservation area spread over Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Namibia, making the region home to one of the largest elephant populations worldwide.

Animal welfare groups, however, have criticised the decision to cull elephants, saying ways should be found to support both the people and the planet without “sacrificing one for the other”.

“While we recognise the severity of the drought, killing elephants will not adequately solve the pressing food crisis. Furthermore, culling elephants does not address the root causes of the current drought," said Tennyson Williams, director for Africa at World Animal Protection, the global voice for animal welfare.

“This decision risks reigniting poaching and the illegal ivory trade, undermining the remarkable progress made in wildlife conservation.”

The Zimbabwe government’s decision comes a few weeks after Namibia announced it had begun culling wildlife to feed people facing a severe drought.

These actions are “deeply troubling and counterproductive to conservation efforts that have flourished in Zimbabwe over the past four decades”.

The drought comes as Zimbabwe is trying to rebuild its economy after years of hyperinflation and mismanagement. Earlier this year, the U.S. announced it was lifting the sanctions it imposed in 2001 but slapped new ones on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his inner circle.

Countries including the U.S. slappped Zimbabwe with crippling sanctions following the government's largely failed land reform programme that saw white commercial farms expropriated.

This was during the presidency of the late strongman, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who ruled the country like his private fiefdom for decades while wannabe tin-pot dictators looked on in awe.

The lifting of sanctions followed an investment drive in the UK by Zimbabwe’s private sector leaders and government officials.

In July 2024, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $39m in drought response assistance to the people of Zimbabwe “as the lean season – when food is scarcest – approaches”.

“El Niño weather patterns are causing a historic drought throughout southern Africa, including in Zimbabwe, driving higher than average levels of food insecurity and disrupting agricultural production and livelihoods,” U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela M. Tremont said.

“During the recent October-May agricultural season, 80 percent of Zimbabwe received below-average rainfall, resulting in farmers losing approximately 70% of their crops. The Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations estimate that six million people will require food assistance during the coming November-March lean season.”

The monetary support is set to provide over 500,000 people with food assistance, distribute agriculture supplies and livestock to households, and improve access to water for agriculture and consumption.

“USAID has provided nearly $62m to respond to humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024. The United States stands with the people of Zimbabwe, and we urge other donors to contribute to meeting the humanitarian needs of the Zimbabwean people.”

While the culling of elephants is undesirable, sadly, the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe would probably see it as a means to an end.