Drought-stricken Namibia sells 170 elephants that “threatened humans”
A total of 170 elephants have been put up for sale by the Namibian government due to an increasing number of “human-elephant conflicts” amid drought.
Namibia, plagued by drought, has put up for sale 170 live elephants to restrict their numbers in its territory, partly because of growing conflicts between humans and animals of this endangered species that international pressure is preventing from slaughtering.
A semi-arid and sparsely populated country in southern Africa, Namibia is home to some 28,000 pachyderms, according to Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta. The government has chosen to sell live elephants for several reasons, particularly their growing numbers, he told AFP.
“Some countries have complained that Namibia is slaughtering male elephants,” he said. “Instead, we decided, after doing some research, to sell them.”