Zimbabwe Undertakes Controversial Plan To Export Baby Elephants
Wildlife officials in Zimbabwe say they intend to export as many as 62 baby elephants in order to raise finance for the country’s national parks, where poachers pose a threat to the species as a whole. Despite that fact, animal activists have been very vocal with their disapproval and say they want to know what is really going on.
Elephants at risk from poachers
The valuable trade in ivory has meant that African elephants have been poached for their tusks which of course has resulted in a contracting population. State parks in Zimbabwe have very limited funding from the government which means there are not enough patrols by game rangers which leaves these magnificent animals very vulnerable to illegal poachers. In 2014 at least 300 elephants were killed in Hwange National Park after their watering holes were poisoned with cyanide by poachers.
Export of baby elephants to start soon.
Jerry Gotora who is chairman of Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority and parks says he expects exports to start in the first quarter of this year as officials decide which destination the baby elephants should be sent to. In an interview with a news agency he said buyers from the United Arab Emirates wanted 15 elephants, French buyers expressed interest in 15 to 20 whilst Chinese buyers wanted 27 elephants.
“We have 80,000 elephants against a carrying capacity of 42,000 and this is not sustainable in the long run,” Mr. Gotora said.
Animal rights activists say plan is cruel
Despite the good intentions behind Zimbabwe’s plan, many animal rights activists say the capture of baby elephants endangers their lives and is cruel. Elephants tend to live in tight social matriarchal groups and babies are entirely dependent on their mother’s milk until they reach five years old. This means that separating them from their mother even when the interests of the whole population are being considered means it is extremely likely that the babies will not survive.
“We are trying to speak to those who we believe brokered the deal and check on the welfare of the captured animals,” Ed Lanca, ZNSPCA’s (Zimbabwe’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) chairman said.
Officials say the plan is necessary
Mr. Gotora responded by saying the exports of these animals are both safe and necessary and there is nothing unusual about it. The main reason for the sale is because the country wants to ensure there is sustainable use of natural resources.
“All those making noise about it are people who do not want Zimbabwe to benefit from its resources,” he added.
