Zimbabwe considers selling hunting rights to 500 endangered elephants

Faced with a lack of revenue caused by the loss of tourism due to COVID-19, Zimbabwe announced that it will soon start selling hunting rights to 500 endangered elephants this year.

We have a budget of about $ 25 million for our operations that is partly raised through hunting, but you know that tourism is dead at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, ”said Tinacci Faraw of Zimbabwe’s Parks Directorate and Wildlife Management Authority. The New York Post reported.

The African jungle elephant is now on the list of critically endangered species, according to the list of rare and endangered animals at the United Nations.

“We strongly condemn elephant hunting, a practice that angeries wildlife and escalates conflicts between humans and wildlife,” said Simisu Melevu, spokeswoman for the Center for Natural Resources Management, a group that advocates for human rights and the environment in Zimbabwe.

“Contrary to government arguments that hunting is intended to help preserve the environment, this practice is driven by greed,” Melevu added. “There is a need for more innovative and environmentally friendly measures to improve revenue generation such as safaris and tourism in general.”