Mapping
Source: IE
Context: Botswana’s President recently made headlines by threatening to export 20,000 elephants to Germany in response to Germany’s proposal for stricter limits on the import of hunting trophies.
Botswana boasts the world’s largest elephant population due to its stable government, sparse human population, and strict conservation policies. Conflict-driven poaching in neighbouring countries redirected elephants to Botswana’s safer territory. However, this abundance of elephants has led to rising human-animal conflicts.
Botswana has responded by donating elephants to other countries, lifting the ban on trophy hunting, and capitalizing on hunting revenue.
What is Trophy Hunting?
Trophy hunting involves killing wild animals for their trophies, such as heads, hides, or other body parts, which are then kept as souvenirs or displays.
In India, trophy hunting is banned. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits the hunting of wild animals, including for trophies.
About Botswana:
It is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, predominantly inhabited by the Tswana ethnic group. It borders South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, and is connected to Zambia via the Kazungula Bridge. It is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. Botswana is known for its diamond industry, high standard of living, and impressive Human Development Index
Its landscape is defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods. The massive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating grasslands, is home to numerous animals including giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.
