Botswana’s president is threatening to send 20,000 elephants to Germany after the German government called for tighter regulations on the import of hunting trophies.
Botswana’s president is not happy with the German government’s proposal to tighten the importation of hunting trophies. Now he is threatening to send 20,000 elephants to Germany. Photo: Martin Meissner / AP / NTBPublished: Published:
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– The Germans should live together with the animals, in the same way they try to say that we should, said Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi to the German Bild this week.
– This is not a joke, he emphasizes.
Earlier this year, Germany’s environment ministry said it would look into introducing stricter border controls on the import of hunting trophies due to poaching concerns.
Hunting trophies can be, for example, a stuffed head with antlers or leather.
Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014, but lifted the restrictions in 2019 under pressure from local communities. Masisi believes a new ban will only lead more Botswanans into poverty.
There are over 130,000 elephants in Botswana, about a third of the world’s elephant population. In some places, herds of elephants are causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling on residents, according to Masisi.
Measures to preserve the elephant population have led to an explosion in the number of elephants. The president therefore believes that hunting is important to keep it in check.
Published:
Published: April 4, 2024 9:45 am
2024-04-04 07:45:37
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