2024-04-04 00:56:20
‘Elephant paradise’ President Masisi of Botswana
Germany’s move to strengthen ivory import regulations
Citizens complain regarding elephant conservation policies
“We are working harder to protect wildlife than any other country.”
“Elephants are overflowing, eating up crops and killing people.”
The president of Botswana, Africa, known as ‘elephant paradise’, threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany if it blocked ivory imports.
“We will send 20,000 elephants to Germany,” Botswana President Mokgwetishi Masisi told German tabloid Bild. “This is no joke.”
President Masisi pointed out that the German Environment Ministry is trying to limit the import of ivory, despite Botswana’s overpopulation of elephants.
Earlier this year, Germany’s environment ministry, headed by Green Party lawmaker Steffi Lemke, said it might impose stricter restrictions on ivory imports, citing poaching concerns.
The Botswana government announced that the elephant population has increased explosively following the implementation of the elephant conservation policy, and the current number of elephants living in Botswana is approximately 130,000.
President Masisi claimed that the people are suffering as the increased number of elephants not only eat crops but also trample people to death.
He criticized, “Botswana is doing more to protect wildlife than any other country in the world, and is paying a price for elephant conservation,” and added, “It is easy to sit in Berlin and discuss Botswana issues.”
“Poor people in rural areas, which account for 40% of the country, are scared to defend themselves and protect their livelihoods,” he said, adding, “Hunting is an important means of keeping elephant populations in check.”
It added that the number of elephants hunted annually falls short of the 400 elephant quota allowed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a multilateral treaty to protect endangered species of plants and animals from threats from international trade. .
There is an overabundance of elephants, and although they promised to send 8,000 elephants to Angola and 500 to Mozambique, Mozambique has not yet taken any elephants.
“We would like to offer elephants as a gift to Germany as well,” President Masisi said. “We will not take ‘no’ for an answer.”
1712250677
#sending #elephants #Botswanas #president #threatens #block #imports
