Botswana: controversy after the slaughter of 23 elephants for independence celebrations

Botswana faced criticism for authorizing the slaughter of 23 elephants during its 60th independence anniversary celebrations on September 30. The Environment Ministry also approved hunting other wild animals, with their meat to be distributed at the festivities. Reinstating hunting in 2019 after a ban in 2014, the country set a quota of 430 elephants for 2026, sparking concerns from environmentalists that this could undermine conservation efforts and normalize elephant killings.