Botswana Threatens to Ship 20K Elephants to Germany

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Facts

• Botswana Pres. Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday threatened to send 20K elephants to Germany amid a political row between the countries over restrictions on the importation of hunting trophies.¹
• Masisi told German media that Germans should 'live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to,' adding that Botswana 'would like to offer such a gift to Germany.'²
• The German Environment Ministry recently addressed the possibility of tighter import limits on hunting trophies over poaching concerns, adding that talks with Botswana and other African countries affected by import restrictions continued.³
• The African leader argued that banning trophy imports would exacerbate poverty while the country faces an elephant 'overpopulation.' He also claimed that Botswana does more 'than any other country in the world' for wildlife protection.⁴
• Home to 130K elephants, Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014 but lifted restrictions in 2019. To manage the population, the country reportedly offered 8K elephants to Angola and 500 to Mozambique.⁵
• According to a 2021 report by the Humane Society International, Germany is the EU's largest importer of African elephant trophies and hunting trophies in general. France, Belgium, and Australia banned the hunting trophy trade.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²www.euractiv.com, ³Guardian, ⁴POLITICO, ⁵Malay Mail and ⁶New York Post.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by POLITICO. This is an outlandish threat that shouldn't deter Germany from banning the import of hunting trophies. The unethical organizers of these hunting trips are the only ones who benefit from these activities, not the poor local residents or even the hunting authorities. Botswana shouldn't do anything to jeopardize its conservation achievements and should instead work with Germany on ways to protect its biodiversity.
• Narrative B, as provided by Metro. His offer may sound bizarre, but it has a serious background, so Masisi's intentions are admirable. An ill-considered import ban would penalize countries like Botswana and undermine their immense wildlife conservation efforts. The so-called 'developed' countries should first worry about their own fauna, abandon their neo-colonial attitude, and take local concerns seriously.

Predictions