Common Elephant Policy Urged to Counter Western Critics

The environment and tourism minister of Botswana, the nation with the world’s biggest population of elephants, called for southern African countries to agree on a common approach to control populations of the animal to counter criticism from the international community.

Kitso Mokaila spoke at the opening of a conference on elephant management in the Botswanan town of Kasane, which will culminate in a heads of state meeting on Tuesday, as his government is pushing to lift an elephant hunting ban and is considering a range of measures from selective “cropping” of elephants to culling. Critics, including former President Ian Khama, say the drive is geared to win rural votes in an October election and could damage tourism, which accounts for a fifth of the economy.