German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke recently proposed a ban on the import of elephant trophies. But according to President Mokgweetsi Masisi, his country is suffering from an elephant plague.
Masisi sees the ban as interference with the way in which the nuisance caused by elephants is tackled.
‘Sustainable use’
According to the president, there are approximately 130,000 elephants in Botswana, which are also said to regularly trample people, destroy crops and destroy villages. He therefore sees controlled hunting as ‘sustainable use’ of the animals and is against the proposed restrictions.
According to him, Botswana is already doing enough to protect the animals. “It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana. We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world,” said Masisi.
Walk around freely
If the Germans consider preserving the elephants so important, they should take them themselves, he reasons. That’s why he offers 20,000 of the animals. “We won’t take no for an answer,” he said. As a condition, he stipulates that the elephants can roam freely through Germany, writes tabloid Bild.
President Masisi previously gave away 8,000 elephants to neighboring country Angola.
A spokesperson for animal rights organization PETA tells Politico that he is pleased with the proposed ban on hunting trophies in Germany. The spokesperson calls trophy hunting “a hobby for rich, jaded people who have more money than morals.”
