Namibia is going to arrange a sale of elephants due to the increase in their population reports Bloomberg citing the Ministry of the Environment of this African country.
The Namibian authorities need to reduce the number of elephants in the country amid drought. Because of this, the animals faced food shortages, which increased the risk of collisions with local farmers in the struggle for crops. “If international laws are respected, elephants can be exported,” the agency writes.
Applications for elephants can be submitted until January 29, 2021. The animals are planned to be sold by related groups. Those whose applications are approved will have to cover the costs of catching and transporting elephants on their own.
In general, in recent decades, the population of these animals in Africa has decreased due to poaching in the east and central part of the continent. However, in southern Africa, the number of individuals has increased, which has led to the displacement of animals that are forced to invade farmland. According to data from open sources, the number of elephants in Namibia reaches 22 thousand, in Zambia there are 26 thousand, in Zimbabwe – 85 thousand, in Botswana – 130 thousand.