NAMIBIA is set to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, to provide much-needed food relief to communities struggling with severe drought, according to the environment ministry. The culling will occur in parks and communal areas where overpopulation has strained limited grazing land and water supplies.

Southern Africa is enduring its worst drought in decades, with Namibia recently depleting 84 percent of its food reserves, according to United Nations data. Nearly half of Namibia’s population is expected to experience high levels of food insecurity in the coming months, intensifying the need for it.

The environment ministry warned that without action, human-wildlife conflicts would likely increase as animals encroach on human settlements in search of food and water. ‘To this effect, 83 elephants from identified conflict areas will be culled, and the meat will be allocated to the drought relief programme,’ the ministry stated.

In addition to the elephants, the country plans to cull 30 hippos, 60 buffalo, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebras, and 100 elands. So far, 157 animals have been hunted by professional hunters and government-contracted companies, yielding over 56,800 kilograms of meat.

‘This exercise is necessary and aligns with our constitutional mandate to ensure that our natural resources benefit Namibian citizens,’ the ministry emphasised.

Namibia is part of a larger conservation area in southern Africa that is home to more than 200,000 elephants, one of the largest elephant populations in the world. However, the ongoing drought has already claimed the lives of hundreds of elephants in neighbouring Botswana and Zimbabwe.

With the drought worsening, Namibia’s decision to cull wildlife highlights the delicate balance between conservation and the immediate needs of its people.

Tgnews