NEWS

1. Zimbabwe mulls first mass elephant killing in decades

Zimbabwe is considering allowing the ‘culling’ of elephants for the first time since 1988 to reduce the 100,000 strong population of the animals. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/5/zimbabwe-mulls-first-mass-elephant-killing-in-decades">https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2...

2. Zimbabwe killed more than 50,000 elephants when it carried out culling on five occasions between 1965 and 1988.

When elephants are culled, entire herds are shot to prevent post traumatic stress for surviving animals. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/5/zimbabwe-mulls-first-mass-elephant-killing-in-decades">https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2...

3. Culling would be a massive mistake. The last time Zimbabwe culled elephant herds, the international trade of ivory was not yet banned yet.

What we know is when you allow the killing of elephants, nefarious characters slip in and kill for ivory. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/5/zimbabwe-mulls-first-mass-elephant-killing-in-decades">https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2...

4. The only reasonable solution for Zimbabwe and other countries with large elephant populations is to work on human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures, contraception for elephants, and translocation. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/5/zimbabwe-mulls-first-mass-elephant-killing-in-decades">https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2...

5. There are countries that could use elephants after losing so much of their population due to poaching over the past few decades.

Transferring thousands of elephants is breathtakingly expensive and a logistical nightmare but it can be done.