大象传媒

When it comes to elephant conservation, Botswana is the world leader. It is now home to more than 130,000 elephants 鈥� or around a third of the world's elephant population. But this growing number poses major problems for humans: the animals destroy homes and crops, and even injure and kill people.

To manage its elephant population, Botswana allows so-called 鈥渢rophy hunting鈥�. Hunters from abroad pay for permits to shoot and kill elephants 鈥� and can then take a piece of the elephant home. Botswana then re-invests this income into conservation efforts.

It鈥檚 a controversial practice. Animal rights activists want Botswana鈥檚 government to seek alternatives to trophy hunting, which they deem as cruel. And in Germany 鈥� Europe鈥檚 biggest importer of African elephant trophies 鈥� the government has suggested there should be stricter limits on importing them. The president of Botswana recently threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany as part of the dispute.

Shingai Nyoka, a 大象传媒 reporter in neighbouring Zimbabwe, explains the laws that govern trophy hunting and why they鈥檙e up for debate. And John Murphy, a 大象传媒 News reporter in London, recounts his experience visiting an 鈥渆lephant corridor鈥� 鈥� regular routes taken by elephants in their daily commute between their feeding grounds on one side and water on the other.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Shingai Nyoka
Producers: Alex Rhodes and William Lee Adams
Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks