Botswana is facing renewed criticism over its decision to authorize the hunting of 23 elephants for meat during celebrations marking 60 years of independence from Britain.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism issued a license allowing the elephants to be hunted across eight districts for what authorities described as complimentary purposes.

The government has not confirmed how many of the 23 elephants were ultimately killed. However, local media published images showing residents gathering around elephant carcasses and collecting meat.

Conservation Groups Criticize Botswana Elephant Hunts

The decision has drawn criticism from conservation groups, including Botswana’s Elephant Protection Society.

Its chairman, Oaitse Nawa, warned that government-sanctioned elephant killings could undermine conservation efforts and risk encouraging illegal poaching.

Botswana is home to more than 130,000 elephants, giving the southern African country the world’s largest national elephant population.

The government has previously defended regulated hunting as part of its approach to managing the country’s large elephant population, reducing human-wildlife conflict and supporting communities living alongside the animals.

Elephant Meat Distribution Raises Concerns

Questions have also been raised over how meat from the hunted elephants was distributed to communities.

In Chobe, MP Simasiku Mapulanga called for future distributions to be better organized after residents reportedly collected meat directly from an elephant carcass.

Mapulanga suggested that the meat should instead be processed into smaller packages before distribution to improve hygiene and make it easier for residents to collect.

The controversy comes as Botswana continues to manage an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Despite criticism of the anniversary hunts, the government maintains that regulated hunting remains part of its wildlife management strategy, particularly in areas where communities frequently come into conflict with elephants.