100 elephants are killed every day – now it will get worse

Botswana recently decided to lift its five year ban on elephant hunting, saying that farmers’ livelihoods are being impacted, with claims that the animals are known to kill livestock and destroy crops. But many conservationists insist it’s a political move, to win rural voters during next year’s general elections. Jason Bell, IFAW Vice President, Conservation & Animal Rescue, says, “Once again, elephants are being used as political scapegoats, at a huge cost. Hunting will do nothing to alleviate human-elephant conflict.” It’s estimated that Botswana has 130,000 elephants, more than a quarter of the total on the continent. Experts say hunting makes the animals fearful and aggressive, increasing conflict. Instead, it’s suggested there should be more “elephant corridors” – safe passages away from crowded habitats. Animal rights groups estimate that poachers in Africa kill between 25-35,000 elephants annually – meaning around 104 die every day. Lifting the ban might see these numbers increase significantly, as any increase in legal killing can lead to an increase in illegal killing. Here, Closer speaks to one mum-of-three who’s dedicated her life to saving the world’s largest land animals...