Elephants for Meat: Why Killing All The Beasts Won’t Solve Zimbabwe’s Hunger Crisis

In the coming days or weeks, elephants roaming across Zimbabwe‘s forests will be pursued, targeted, and killed. Perhaps, to capture these wild beasts, which can weigh up to 6,300 kg—equivalent to 126 50kg bags of rice—holes will be dug as traps or more hunters will be armed with guns to slay them.

Zimbabwe, a Southern African country known for its striking landscapes and diverse wildlife, has approved a controversial plan to cull 200 elephants.

“We are targeting to cull 200 elephants,” Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, confirmed the development to CNN.

Culling, the reduction of a wild animal population by selective slaughter, is often used to control animal populations. However, Zimbabwe’s culling is part of the government’s strategy to tackle the acute hunger faced by nearly half of its population.

“We are discussing with Zim Parks (Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority) and some communities to do what Namibia has done, so that we can count the elephants, mobilize women to dry the meat, and package it to ensure it reaches communities that need the protein,” Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni told parliament.

Understandably, this plan has sparked criticism from animal rights activists and conservationists, raising questions about balancing human survival against the accepted morality of conservation.

Should we choose to save the lives of hungry, desperate Zimbabweans, or preserve the majestic beasts that roam their lands? Should 200 elephants be sacrificed to fill empty bellies, or should their lives be protected in the name of biodiversity?

These are hard questions—almost philosophical—pitting survival against conservation, humans against nature. Yet here we are, with Zimbabwe on the brink of culling hundreds of elephants to feed its starving citizens. A moral and environmental dilemma, yet one that shouldn’t have been allowed to arise in the first place.

The government’s decision to cull nearly 200 elephants, following the country’s worst drought in decades and widespread hunger, is not just a desperate move—it’s a symptom of a much deeper problem. This isn’t about food insecurity; it’s about a nation struggling to feed its own due to decades of economic mismanagement, political corruption, and the steady erosion of resources.

Let’s face it: Zimbabwe’s economic crisis didn’t appear overnight. Years of government incompetence have chipped away at what was once a prosperous nation. From hyperinflation that forced Zimbabweans to carry wheelbarrows of money to buy a loaf of bread, to international sanctions imposed due to political instability, this is a country brought to its knees by its own leadership.

According to the World Bank, over 40% of Zimbabwe’s population now lives in extreme poverty. That’s almost half the country—millions of people—who struggle to find their next meal.

Yes, hunger is a brutal reality in Zimbabwe. So what does the government do? They turn to their wild resources—nature’s wealth—in a desperate bid to feed their people. But the irony is, this shouldn’t even be considered a solution.

Namibia, which last month approved the killing of 700 wild animals, including elephants, shared 125,000 pounds of meat. But how has this bettered the lives of the 65.8% of the population living in extreme poverty?

How many hungry mouths can the meat of 200 elephants feed? A month’s worth of meals, perhaps, but what happens after that? Will more elephants be slaughtered? To what end? When does the killing stop?

There’s also the question of disease—elephants are wild animals, not livestock bred for human consumption. The risks are real. We’ve seen how zoonotic diseases have wreaked havoc globally, yet the government sees no issue in harvesting wild animals for food.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which Zimbabwe is a signatory, exists for a reason. It’s there to protect dwindling species populations, including elephants, from threats like illegal poaching and habitat destruction.

It is true that Zimbabwe has the second-largest population of elephants, with around 84,000 roaming its vast wilderness—almost double its carrying capacity of 45,000—but their population globally has witnessed a drastic reduction. In fact, African savanna elephants are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Why Killing Elephants Will Not Feed Hungry Zimbabweans

Hence, there must be better solutions. Instead of culling these elephants, could there be a way to sell them to countries with lower elephant populations, nations eager to bolster their conservation efforts?

In 2023, Botswana, which has the highest elephant population in the world, donated 8,000 elephants to neighboring Angola and recently offered hundreds more to Mozambique. These free gifts can be monetized. For instance, Nigeria’s elephant population is facing extinction, having decreased by 70% in the past 30 years. Nigeria is not alone. In Asia, where elephants are often revered, their habitat range has shrunk to only 13 countries, threatening their survival.

The sale of elephants to countries willing to increase their populations could bring in millions—funds that could be used to feed the hungry and stabilize Zimbabwe’s economy, if properly managed.

Another avenue is international aid. Zimbabwe has received aid in the past, and though the country’s leadership has often mismanaged such resources, perhaps the world could unite in offering targeted relief—specifically for food security—under strict oversight.

We also need to think long-term. The culling of 200 elephants will not solve Zimbabwe’s food crisis. It’s a short-term fix for a deeply rooted issue. More elephants will be killed, more wildlife decimated, and before long, Zimbabwe may find itself not only impoverished but also barren of its natural treasures.

“Culling of elephants must be stopped. Some are eyeing an opportunity to sell ivory illicitly—what with these private jets flying out week in, week out. With the way minerals are being looted, soon we won’t have any elephants to talk about. Hands off our wildlife!” Farai Maguwu, who leads the Zimbabwe-based advocacy group the Center for Natural Resource Governance, wrote on X.