As drought continues to take its toll in Zimbabwe’s largest game park, Hwange National Park, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 elephants, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has called on authorities to sanction the sale of its ivory stockpile to raise funds.
It has also identified the export of live elephants as a means of raising money for conservation.
Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo points out that Zimparks does not receive government funding and requires large sums of money annually for conservation efforts. According to Zimparks, the country exported a total of 101 elephants between 2016 and this year. They were mainly exported to China and the United Arab Emirates, raising money for conservation.
Zimbabwe, together with South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, unsuccessfully lobbied the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for controlled sales of their ivory stocks at a meeting in August.
