Drought and Famine Caused by El Niño Pushing Sub-Saharan Africa to Cull Elephants

African bush elephants drink water in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe (Wikimedia Commons)

Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants to alleviate the worsening food crisis in the wake of El Niño. Zimbabwean officials will dry and distribute the meat to the regions with the highest levels of food insecurity. 

Plagued by drought, Zimbabwe has been unable to harvest the necessary crops to feed over half its population. The UN now estimates that 42 percent of Zimbabweans live in poverty. The World Food Programme predicts another 7.6 million will suffer food insecurity in the first half of 2025. 

Scarce resources have affected animal populations in Zimbabwe, too: 100 elephants have died as a result of the El Niño drought, and hungry elephants are increasingly wandering outside their habitats and coming into contact with humans. Last year, 31 people died as a result of human-elephant interactions. Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni noted increasing strain on resources in a speech to Zimbabwe’s Parliament in mid-September, explaining “"When wildlife overpopulates a park, they venture beyond it in search of resources like water or vegetation. This brings them into contact with humans, sparking conflicts."

Zimbabwe has the second-largest population of elephants in sub-Saharan Africa. Both Zimbabwe and Namibia have more elephants than they have the capacity for, with 84,000 elephants in Zimbabwe and about 30,000 in Namibia. Georgetown Professor of African Studies Meredith McKittrick notes that culling is a responsible short-term response. “In times of drought, private game farms end up slaughtering some of their animals as an act of mercy, and I suspect this is happening now. So reducing wildlife numbers, if it is done strategically, is not a bad thing for wildlife populations overall,” she stated.  

In a written statement obtained by The Caravel, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) spokesperson Stacey Hedman echoed Professor McKittrick’s analysis: “We understand the gravity of the situation and threat posed to wildlife and people and acknowledge the right of sovereign states to freely exploit their natural resources. However, we believe that killing animals is not a long-term solution to the pressing challenges posed by climate change.” 

Despite the worsening famine, conservationists have largely denounced the government’s decision, decrying culling as a cruel solution given elephants’ ability to experience trauma. Farai Maguwu, founding director of Center for National Resource Governance (CNRG), took to X to condemn the cullings: “Cullings of elephants must be stopped […] soon we wont have any elephant to talk about. Hands off our wildlife!” 

Sub-Saharan Africa is especially vulnerable to climate crises, and Zimbabwe isn't the only country culling elephants in an effort to alleviate food insecurity. Namibia has culled over 150 elephants and distributed 125,000 pounds of meat to address their own famine. The Namibian government intends to cull another 700 wild animals, including 83 elephants. Botswana, Angola, and Zambia face similar shortages, although they have not yet resorted to culling.

Namibia auctioned off 170 elephants in 2017. Zimbabwe sold 98 elephants to the Middle East and China in 2019. Some countries have also permitted locals and tourists who provide a valid license to hunt the animals. Culling was popular in the 1980s and 1990s before most African countries enforced bans in response to global criticism. If Zimbabwe were to go forward with this plan, it would be the first culling in four decades.

Culling will begin in Hwange National Park, which has an elephant population of 65,000 elephants, four times its capacity. In the aforementioned press statement, IFAW is optimistic that the drought will lessen naturally: “The prospects of a normal to above normal 2024/25 rainfall… Gives us confidence that we can ensure a good harvest for people and sufficient water for wildlife.”

However, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and other sub-Saharan African countries need a long-term response to El Niño and climate crises. Professor McKittrick stated that “most southern African countries have very limited abilities to enact adaptation plans on the scale that will be required, although they are acutely aware of the need to do so.” She also noted that developed, high-income countries are failing to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement pledge to deliver $100 billion each to climate-affected developing countries. In reality, financial aid comes with steep interest rates and conditions that are pushing countries receiving aid—including Egypt, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Iraq, Pakistan, Ecuador, Argentina, Nigeria, and El Salvador—further into debt and poorly positioned  to tackle the climate crisis.