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Namibia has experienced an unprecedented increase in the number of elephants in a very short period of time. Official figures show a jump of almost three times over a period of about 25 years, from about 7,500 in 1995 to 24,000 in 2019. This has led to more conflicts between humans and animals. There was a time when elephants in this African country were among the species that faced survival problems due to poaching, illegal wildlife trade and environmental factors.
According to CNN, they were on the verge of extinction, but this trend has changed thanks to Namibia’s conservation efforts, which have received international support.
However, the government has reconsidered the issue. Last year she announced her plan to withdraw from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) when countries voted to reject certain proposals relating to the hunting and export of her white rhinos. Namibia supports an increase in trophy hunting and the export of live animals. The argument is that such exercises would help to mobilize resources for species conservation. In December 2016, China dealt a fatal blow to elephant poaching by disrupting the ivory trade.
Miscellaneous reasons to sell elephants
According to CNN Namibia has a number of wild elephants for sale. The official reasons for this situation are periods of drought and an increase in the number of pyjamas.
They invade human homes, followed by conflicts between humans and animals. The fault lies with those who, in the name of development, destroy the green shell. They build roads, houses and bridges to develop the infrastructure. It is clear that animals are trapped in space and have to fight for their survival. They end with unwanted incidents.
In May 2019, Botswana lifted the ban on elephant hunting, leading to international outrage. By the way, there are elephant safaris on some of the trails, and tourists can ride on animals while walking in the bush.
Namibia sets auction criteria for elephants
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism will be the agency that will organise the auction.
The authorities don’t decide who buys them. They can come from Namibia or from abroad, but must meet certain criteria. This includes the presence of quarantine objects. The elephant’s position must also be certified. CNN adds that Namibia, like some other African countries, suffers from animal-related problems. The aim is to reconcile the protection of valuable species with conflicts between humans and animals.
This is inevitable when people start occupying places that are normally reserved for animals. The authorities have to compensate a lot, because animals and people have unique problems. In October Namibia offered a number of buffaloes for sale in order to reduce the pressure on the pastures.
This is the obvious case of people taking over land that legally belongs to animals. In 2019, when the country experienced the worst drought in 100 years, many animals were auctioned off.
Selling elephants is a better option than killing them.
According to the Jakarta Post, Namibia plans to sell large numbers of live elephants to slow down the upward trend in their numbers. Drought and territorial conflicts with the population are also factors that have influenced decision-making. The country is sparsely populated and with an official estimate of 28,000 animals it is semi-arid in Africa.
Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta told the press that the government supports the sales policy after criticizing the fact that it shoots elephants to control traffic jams.
His words: We’ve decided… …after the search… …to sell them instead. Selling is the sale of herds, including babies or miners, that maintain an important social structure in the elephant communities. In February 2016 Zimbabwe justified the sale of live elephants to China.
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