Botswana Conservation Group Seeks End to Elephant Trophy Hunting
Government officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism have expanded hunting quotas in several regions, including area NG35, citing large elephant populations.
GABORONE, Botswana — A wildlife conservation organisation in Botswana has called for the permanent prohibition of elephant trophy hunting and stronger anti-poaching legislation throughout the country, writes Keneilwe Lephoi.
The Elephant Protection Society argues that hunting undermines conservation efforts and damages Botswana's standing as a conservation leader, according to statements made to Africa Brief News.
"Elephant hunting weakens public support for broader conservation efforts and sends the wrong message about the value of living wildlife," said organisation representative Oaitse Nawa.
"Even the loss of a few key elephants can disrupt herd movements, breeding patterns, and increase human-wildlife conflict."
Botswana reinstated trophy hunting in 2020 after a five-year ban.
The current system allows local hunting license holders to sell trophies, though ivory remains regulated under international agreements.
The society disputes claims that hunting effectively manages elephant populations or provides significant community benefits, calling elephant overpopulation "a myth propagated by hunting companies."
The organisation advocates for eco-tourism alternatives, community-led conservation initiatives and non-lethal population management strategies.
Government officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism have expanded hunting quotas in several regions, including area NG35, citing large elephant populations.
The conservation group warned residents near Maun to remain vigilant in areas where hunting takes place, suggesting that recent elephant-related incidents may be connected to hunting activities.
Actually it’s EPS’s view which is based on evidence. The current strategy is extremely dangerous and places people at risk. The evidence shows that lethal management – whether trophy hunting or culling – worsens human-elephant conflict. It’s a naive short-term solution which ignores everything we’ve learned about elephants over decades of research. Here are a few examples, from a massive body of evidence, supporting EPS’s approach:
Study–Civil war killings changed elephant behaviour: https://pachydermjournal.org/index.php/pachyderm/article/view/518?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Study–Repercussions of elephant killing lasts decades: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258038230_Effects_of_social_disruption_in_elephants_persist_decades_after_culling
Study–Removal of old males by hunters increases aggression: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8692974/
Orphaning elephants increases herd aggression: https://www.discovermagazine.com/elephants-orphaned-by-mass-killings-are-tormented-for-decades-afterward-27228
Culling traumatises elephants for decades: https://news.mongabay.com/2014/05/culling-elephants-leaves-an-impact-on-their-social-structure-decades-later/
Rather than reducing conflict, violence toward elephants perpetuates it – a lesson conservation science learned long ago. But it doesn’t fit with the ambitions of rich foreign trophy hunters, and their money is a huge influence in Botswana.
The position advanced by the Elephant Protection Society appears to be based on limited understanding of the conservation realities in Botswana. Their assertions reflect a partial and externally-influenced perspective that does not fully consider the complex ecological, socio-economic, and governance dimensions of elephant conservation in our context. Any meaningful engagement on this matter must be grounded in evidence-based inquiry and a comprehensive appreciation of local conservation frameworks. Notably, the organization has yet to acknowledge the substantial costs borne by rural communities coexisting with high elephant populations, nor the legally sanctioned role that regulated trophy hunting plays in supporting community-based conservation and livelihoods in these areas