The Ministry of Environment and Tourism issued a licence authorising the hunting of 23 elephants and other wild animals for 'complimentary purposes' in Botswana. The Botswana-based Elephant Protection Society warned that this decision risks undermining conservation efforts.
Oaitse Nawa stated that elephants require increased protection, noting that 'Elephants have lost their social structures because they are always being pushed from one place to another by gunshots.' Authorities also implemented measures to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease across the nation.
Tshenatshe Monwela argued that his community should have received buffalo meat instead of elephant meat. Furthermore, the government organised events to mark the country's diamond jubilee, including a carnival held in Gaborone.
The 23 elephants designated for hunting were distributed across eight districts throughout the country. MP Simasiku Mapulanga called upon the hunter and relevant leadership to ensure that future distributions are organised with dignity, fairness, and public hygiene.
The government defended regulated hunting, asserting it serves as a method for managing the elephant population and human-wildlife conflict while generating income for local communities. Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi told parliament last year that special elephant quotas generated 15.6 million pula, equivalent to $1.1 million or £820,000, in 2025.
The country previously banned trophy hunting in 2014 under former President Ian Khama. Five years later, Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted the trophy hunting ban.
Hunting activities continued under President Duma Boko, who won the elections in 2024, defeating Masisi.
