Botswana’s government issued hunting licenses for 23 elephants to supply meat for the country’s 60th independence anniversary celebrations on Wednesday. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism authorized the killings for what the license described as “complimentary purposes” related to nationwide festivities marking the diamond jubilee.
Animal rights organizations and local activists have opposed the decision. The Botswana-based Elephant Protection Society expressed concerns that government-sanctioned elephant slaughter could undermine conservation efforts and encourage poaching by normalizing the killing of elephants. The organization’s chairman warned that such practices could further disrupt elephant social structures already affected by ongoing hunting pressures. Additionally, some residents raised concerns about consuming game meat amid an ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the region.
Distribution of the meat in some areas proceeded informally, with residents gathering around elephant carcasses in public spaces like schools. An elected official in Chobe district raised concerns about the disorganized distribution method, noting that it created unsafe conditions and disadvantaged vulnerable populations. He called for properly processed and packaged portions to ensure hygiene and equitable access.
The authorization reflects an ongoing policy debate within Botswana regarding elephant population management. The country hosts over 130,000 elephants and faces persistent conflicts between wildlife protection and rural communities’ concerns about crop destruction and property damage. The government has defended regulated hunting as necessary for managing human-wildlife conflict while generating revenue for local development. Revenue from elephant hunting quotas contributed 15.6m pula in 2025 for community projects. However, conservation organizations have questioned whether current hunting levels are sustainable, while hunting policy supporters contend that international criticism often overlooks the substantial costs borne by rural communities living alongside Africa’s largest elephant population.
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