Southern Africa Turns to Culling Elephants Amid Severe Drought and Hunger

Zimbabwe and Namibia, facing their worst droughts in decades, have announced controversial plans to cull hundreds of wild elephants as a measure to feed communities grappling with acute hunger. Zimbabwe will slaughter 200 elephants, while Namibia has set plans to kill 700 wild animals. These drastic measures highlight the severe food shortages across southern Africa, where drought conditions have left nearly half of Zimbabwe's population at risk of acute hunger. The decision to cull wildlife, including elephants, underscores the dire situation in these countries and the lengths to which they are willing to go to provide relief to their citizens.