The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has condemned a decision by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to issue permits for the culling of 50 elephants in the Save Valley Conservancy, labelling the move a “violent, short-term fix” disguised as an elephant management exercise.
In a statement, the CNRG rejected culling as an ethical or scientifically sound solution to wildlife overpopulation, warning that it could traumatise surviving herds, undermine human-wildlife coexistence efforts, and damage Zimbabwe’s vital tourism sector.
The organisation argued that the decision marks a major policy reversal, returning to a controversial practice largely abandoned in the 1990s due to its cruelty. The statement reads:
Killing wild animals that are the basis for the tourism economy threatens sustainable livelihoods. In Zimbabwe, tourism is the third largest economic sector and contributed US$ 433 million to the country`s GDP.
ZimParks has justified the cull by citing ecological pressure, arguing that the conservancy’s elephant population of 2,550 far exceeds its estimated carrying capacity of 800.
However, the CNRG dismissed this justification as flawed, arguing that such carrying capacity models are often “outdated and based on narrow ecological calculations that ignore broader landscape-level dynamics.” It said:
Wildlife does not recognise artificial boundaries, and isolating Save Valley from the broader ecological system reduces conservation to spreadsheet arithmetic.
Furthermore, the organisation raised alarms over what it termed “disguised commercial interests,” suggesting the plan could be a veiled effort to generate ivory stockpiles.
The CNRG expressed concern that the planned distribution of elephant meat to local communities might mask the true commercial motives. It said:
We are alarmed by the quiet commodification of this exercise. The planned distribution of elephant meat to
communities masks what may be a veiled effort to generate ivory stockpiles.
The CNRG argued that viable, non-lethal alternatives are being ignored. While acknowledging that the conservancy had previously translocated 200 elephants, the organisation called for a much broader national strategy focused on expanding elephant ranges, establishing ecological corridors, and investing in transboundary conservation efforts.
Contraceptives and community engagement were also cited as more humane and sustainable options.
The CNRG has called for an immediate cessation of the planned elephant cull in Save Valley and proposed a transparent, multi-stakeholder dialogue concerning ethical elephant management.
The CNRG also demanded substantial investment in non-lethal, community-based conservation strategies. It said:
Zimbabwe’s elephants are not surplus biomass to be disposed of for convenience. They are sentient beings, ecological engineers, and national treasures whose future must not be traded for short-term expediency.
Parks must reverse this flawed decision. But they probably won’t as some bigwigs are obviously involved. We hold the county’s wildlife in trust for future generations.