This will make you rethink and likely upset many regarding Botswana's burgeoning reputation concerning elephants. Please read on and share far and wide if you are genuinely concerned about the welfare of African elephants:



A little while ago, we 'boasted' about Botswana's wonderful African elephant population and how they migrate to those lands to avoid poaching/hunting. We thought it was fantastic and MANY of you felt the same way. Botswana boasted a population of about 130 000 elephants, boosting huge revenue from the eager and helpful tourism industry and it would have grown bigger. Not anymore, thanks to a nearsighted few who abuse power.

The elephants tended to stay there for a longer time – a reprieve, as they believed this 'wonderful' land with fantastic foraging areas and easily accessible clean water felt safe. Everyone here was on the elephant's side... Ha! How that has changed in only a few years because of their new President. His predecessor, Ian Khama, imposed a ban on poaching in 2014 and the elephants fled from poaching/hunting to this land as they finally felt safe, but in 2019 the current president Mokgweetsi Masisi set up a committee to review that ban.

That important ban was lifted. Political play at work, but not smart play as he is only able to score political points by local and rural electors as they believe elephants are becoming too destructive! So, instead of finding a solution to that problem, he is resorting to an action that will have a huge and detrimental effect on Botswana's relationship on the enormous and far more powerful international stage.

As a BBC article states: "It could also damage the country's international reputation for conservation and affect its revenues from tourism, the second largest source of foreign income after diamond mining."

In 2019 they were mulling over the idea of using culled and hunted elephants for pet food!

2021 update from a circulating petition: "The hunting season from 6 April to 21 September 2021 is proceeding “as planned” according to Kabelo Senyatso, director of the government's department of wildlife and national parks. Foreign hunters will be allowed to shoot 287 elephants.

In view of the increasing poaching and the collapse of Africa’s overall elephant population, we call on President Mokgweetsi Masisi to take the following actions:

• Reinstate the hunting ban.
• Do not go ahead with the culls.
• Step up measures to fight poaching."

Petition: https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/1172/botswana-reinstate-the-ban-on-elephant-hunting?fbclid=IwAR331hcTzwRbiRur8-jAwhHrUPh9Q2HNGCQW2GHttaHp25JTosmvZcK0m4Q.

• Once a safe haven for traumatised elephants; now a place that has melted into the same rusted pot where poached elephants fund terrorists and the like.
• Photo credit: © @damian_aspinall/instagram (shot baby – a healthy adolescent. Great ethics – all round. Quite obviously not at all controlled hunts/culls or an old elephant...).