Botswana Faces Backlash Over Plan to Serve Elephant Meat at 60th Independence Celebrations

Animal welfare advocates have voiced strong criticism of Botswana's decision to permit the killing of 23 elephants so their meat can be served during the country's independence day festivities. The southern African nation, which holds the largest elephant population in the world, is marking 60 years of independence from Britain on Wednesday with nationwide celebrations.

A licence issued by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and reviewed by local media authorises the hunting of 23 elephants along with other wild animals for what it described as "complimentary purposes." The elephant meat is expected to feature in the traditional feasting that accompanies the Independence Day commemorations, with the 23 animals distributed across eight districts.

The Botswana chapter of the Elephant Protection Society has warned that the move could damage conservation efforts. Its chairman, Oaitse Nawa, told the BBC that elephants require stronger protection rather than being killed for celebratory meals. He cautioned that slaughtering the animals for a national event could fuel poaching by sending the signal that killing elephants is acceptable when the government itself sanctions it.

Nawa also highlighted the social toll on the animals, noting that repeated displacement by gunfire has stripped elephants of their social structures. His remarks underscore a broader concern among conservationists that official hunting quotas, even when framed as population management, may normalise the killing of a species already under pressure.

The controversy has spread to social media in Botswana, where some users questioned the safety of consuming the game meat. Their anxiety stems from an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which has led authorities to impose containment measures across affected areas.

In Maun, a tourism town in north-western Botswana, community elder Tshenatshe Monwela told local media that his area should have been allocated buffalo instead of elephants. He argued that elephants carry particular cultural and ecological value, and that Botswana's long-standing record of safeguarding wildlife and livestock should have been reflected in how the government distributed meat for the anniversary.

The government has planned a series of events for the diamond jubilee, including a carnival in the capital, Gaborone, alongside cultural performances, concerts and sporting fixtures. Game meat is a customary part of the traditional feasting tied to Independence Day, although it is not an everyday staple in most households.

By Wednesday morning it remained unclear how many of the 23 elephants had been killed. The BBC said it had approached the government for comment but had not received an immediate response.

Local media, however, published images from various parts of the country showing residents crowding around elephant carcasses, some holding knives and sharing the meat. The scenes sparked further debate about how the distribution was being handled.

In Chobe, a wildlife-rich district in northern Botswana near the borders with Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, a local MP raised concerns after residents reportedly collected portions directly from a carcass at a school. Simasiku Mapulanga said the arrangement risked creating congestion and leaving elderly people, pregnant women and people with disabilities at a disadvantage.

He suggested the meat should instead be processed into 5kg or 10kg packages to improve hygiene and guarantee fairer distribution. In a Facebook post that included photos of people scrambling for meat around an elephant carcass, the MP appealed for better organisation at future distributions "for the sake of dignity, fairness and public hygiene."

Elephant meat is commonly consumed in some wildlife-rich communities, especially when meat from legal hunts is shared locally. Botswana regulates game meat strictly, and lawful possession generally requires proof that the meat came from a sanctioned hunt.

The episode has reignited a long-running and frequently heated debate over how Botswana should manage its enormous elephant population, which exceeds 130,000 animals. Communities living alongside the herds have complained for years that the animals destroy crops, damage property and sometimes kill people.

The government has defended regulated hunting as a tool for managing both elephant numbers and human-wildlife conflict, while also generating revenue for local communities. Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014 under then-president Ian Khama, but the restriction was lifted five years later by his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi. Hunting has continued under President Duma Boko, who defeated Masisi in the 2024 elections.

According to the government, proceeds from hunting support conservation and local development. Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi told parliament last year that special elephant quotas raised 15.6 million pula, equivalent to about $1.1m or £820,000, in 2025 for projects in areas where elephants are found.

Conservation organisations have questioned whether current hunting levels can be sustained. Supporters of the policy counter that international criticism often ignores the burdens borne by rural communities who share their land with one of the world's densest elephant concentrations. They point out that the animals destroy crops and infrastructure and pose risks to residents, particularly as their range increasingly overlaps with farms and settlements.