Zimbabwean wildlife authorities have approved the culling of at least 50 elephants at Save Valley Conservancy, citing overpopulation and environmental strain in the southern reserve.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority announced on Tuesday that the reserve is currently home to about 2,550 elephants, more than three times its ecological carrying capacity of 800. Officials said the decision was made to prevent habitat degradation and reduce pressure on the ecosystem.
Efforts to manage the elephant population have included the relocation of 200 animals to other reserves in the past five years. But conservationists say the population continues to grow beyond sustainable limits.
As part of the execution, the elephants’ meat will be distributed to local communities, while the ivory will be handed over to the park authority for safekeeping.
Increasing Human-Wildlife Conflict of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations. But prolonged drought and environmental changes, worsened by climate change, have increased conflict between wildlife and human settlements, with elephants frequently entering villages in search of food and water.
The country previously authorized a large-scale slaughter in 2024, targeting around 200 elephants in response to a severe hunger crisis and rising human-wildlife tensions. The meat from that operation was also distributed to drought-affected communities, mirroring similar steps taken by neighboring Namibia.
Zimbabwe’s approach to managing its elephant population has drawn both support and criticism. Some conservationists argue that the slaughter is necessary for ecological balance, while others have raised ethical concerns and called for greater investment in non-lethal population control measures such as translocation and birth control.