Zimbabwe Defends Elephant Cull To Ease Drought Driven Hunger

Binga (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe defends its plan to cull 200 elephants from a population of thousands of mammals to help ease drought-driven lack of food. 

"We can't leave people dying of hunger," says Fulton Mangwanya, director general of the country’s Parks & Wildlife Management Authority. The decision has prompted widespread criticism from conservationists and animal rights groups. Several Southern African nations are facing severe drought conditions, being blamed in part on climate change. 

Zimbabwe's wildlife authority defended in an interview with AFP its planned cull of 200 elephants to ease pressure on drought-strained resources after criticism. The body said the country's first cull in around 35 years was necessary as Zimbabwe was struggling to cope with an overpopulation of the massive animals along with a withering drought that has left thousands facing food shortages.

It came after neighbouring Namibia said it was planning to cull more than 700 wild animals, including 83 elephants, to relieve pressure on its drought-affected grazing and water supplies, and to provide meat for food aid programmes. Both culls faced criticism from conservationists and animal rights groups.