The president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi is threatening to send 20,000 elephants to Germany over a dispute on the importation of hunting trophies to the European. Masisi has criticised the German government, most notably its environment ministry, for seeking to ban the import of animal trophies as Botswana continue to grapple with an explosion in the population of elephants.
“Twenty thousand elephants for Germany, this is not a joke,” Masisi told a German news outlet, responding to reports from Germany’s environment ministry, on the possibility of stricter limits on the import of hunting trophies due to poaching concerns.
“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 – and even for Lemke’s (Germany’s minister of environment) party,”
Germans should try to “live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to,” he added.
According to Botswana’s leader, the country has seen its elephant population grow to over 130,000.
Botswana has engaged various methods to tackle the country’s overpopulation of the animals, it offered 8,000 elephants to Angola and another 500 to Mozambique, but the president claims Mozambique has not claimed the offering.
“We would like to offer such a gift to Germany,” and would “not take no for an answer.” Masisi fumed.
Masisi seems to be growing increasingly frustrated at foreign countries dictating terms to his country on how to maintain the elephant population yet offering little to no help. Earlier, the UK parliament debated a bill to ban poaching in Botswana, and Masisi said he would be “abhorred” if a UK ban passes, calling it “condescending.”
“I find it unfathomable that you’d be horrified of the protection of ones’ livelihood – rural, poor people, who have allowed 40% of the country to be set aside for conservation – when they defend themselves,” Masisi said.
