The President of the Botswatsi Masisi threatened to send 20 thousand elephants to Germany if the Green Party does not refuse the initiative to limit the export of hunting equipment to Africa
In an interview with Bild, Masisi, sharply criticized the initiative of the German government to prohibit the import of hunting trophies and equipment from Africa to protect the elephant population on the continent.
The head of state has attracted attention to the fact that at present Botswana is faced with uncontrolled growth of the elephant population, the number of which in the country is about 130 thousand
The herds of elephants trample people, destroy crops and devastate the villages, the president said, noting that hunting is a means of controlling the population.
“It is easy to sit in Berlin and express an opinion about our problems in Botswan,” said the head of the African state.
Masisi recalled that Botswana had already handed Angola 8 thousand elephants to reduce the current population of elephants.
If in Germany it continues to promote initiatives to protect the elephant population in Africa, Botswana will send 20 thousand elephants to the country, the head of state warned.
Masisi emphasized that this is not a joke and in Botswan they do not accept any refusals.
In Botswan, approximately a third of the global elephant population lives. In 2014, the country banned elephant hunting.
The ban was lifted in 2019 due to the sharp growth of the elephant population and the requirements of the local population.
Earlier, the Ministry of Environment of Germany, headed by Steffi Lemake from the Green party, came up with the initiative to limit the export of hunting equipment to African countries.