Zimbabwe’s authorities in the framework of the struggle against the economic crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic, decided to sell licenses for the murder of elephants, reports CNN.
Because of the restrictions on international trips around the world, revenues from tourism sharply fell sharply in the country. The African state wants to partially compensate them with the help of shooting. It is assumed that this year at least 500 licenses will be issued.
Each license will cost 10-70 thousand dollars, that is, it is expected to make several tens of millions of dollars. A representative of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Zimbabwe Tinas Faravo noted that such income will allow at least pay the salary to employees of the department.
In total, the elephant population in the country reached 100 thousand individuals. In recent years, the number of accidents associated with them has increased. Including in some of them were dead.
Zoozhechnikov criticized the plans of Zimbabwe, stressing that this practice can lead to an increase in the number of accidents. In their opinion, animals can start revenge for their relatives.
Zimbabwe is not the first African country, which decided to correct its own economy with the help of elephants. In December last year, Namibia reported on the same plans. However, in this case, it was about selling, and not about shooting.
In recent decades, elephants population in Africa decreased, including due to cases of poaching, but in the south of the continent, their number, on the contrary, has grown.