this post was submitted on 03 Apr 2024
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cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/10012136

Earlier this year, Germany's environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing trophies from hunting animals.

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi told German media this would only impoverish people in his country.

He said elephant numbers had exploded as a result of conservation efforts, and hunting helped keep them in check.

Germans should "live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to", Mr Masisi told German newspaper Bild. "This is no joke."

Botswana is home to about a third of the world's elephant population - over 130,000 - more than it has space for.

Herds were causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling residents, Mr Masisi said.

Botswana has previously given 8,000 elephants to neighbouring Angola, and has offered hundreds more to Mozambique, as a means of bringing the population down.

"We would like to offer such a gift to Germany," Mr Masisi said, adding that he would not take no for an answer.

Botswana's Wildlife Minister Dumezweni Mthimkhulu last month threatened to send 10,000 elephants to London's Hyde Park so British people could "have a taste of living alongside" them.

In March, UK MPs voted to support a ban on importing hunting trophies, but the legislation has further scrutiny to pass before becoming law.

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[–] hypnicjerk@lemmy.world 85 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

"there are too many elephants" was not on my 2024 bingo

[–] Aux@lemmy.world 31 points 7 months ago

There are too many elephants in Botswana, not worldwide.

[–] Vorticity@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I don't think we actually have "too many elephants" but I imagine they would be very difficult to live around.

[–] Skua@kbin.social 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

What happened in Tanzania? The drop there seems to account for pretty much the entire loss in Africa between 2007 and 2015

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

yeah, but "too many in Botswana" isn't that difficult to believe.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

And that's not a foreign nation's problem. That president is delusional.

[–] GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk 40 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Simple solution:

  • Send the elephants to the uk
  • Sunak pays to have them sent on to Rwanda.

Botswana has fewer elephants.
Sunak can claim to have deported 20000 imaphants.
Rwanda gets a truckload of money from the UK.

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

This guy geopolitics!

[–] 5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 34 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Right wing german yellow press printed: "Africa-State threatens to send 20000 elephants TO GERMANY", probably because their audience doesn't know what a Botswana is.

[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

Iz zhat were zhe bots are caming from?

[–] Zedstrian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 months ago
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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 29 points 7 months ago

The local radio station jokingly asked people to "adopt an elephant".

One boy wanted to have an elephant and asked for tips how to hide it from his parents, as they would not approve, and one guy asked for an elephant with a shoulder height of 45cm max, because that is the biggest pet size he is allowed to keep in his rental flat...

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Send them to Australia. Similar climate, and the kangaroos will shit a brick.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 11 points 7 months ago

Until they unite forces and attack the aussies. Cue another animals vs. Australians war

[–] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

This is how you get ~~poisonous~~ venomous elephants.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That's the one. Edited.

[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Hannibal in the afterlife watching 20000 elephants cross the alps

[–] Fisk400@feddit.nu 11 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Botswana has a point. If a German went to Sweden to hunt moose and brought back the head, nobody would flinch.

If hunting is cruel ban import of moose products first and see how the debate goes.

[–] Giado@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

German Green Party is extremely fundamentalist and they think they are saving the world by lecturing African countries how to run their country.

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 7 months ago (8 children)

And getting rid of nuclear, bunch of idiots

[–] Black616Angel@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Lol, the conservatives got rid of nuclear.

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)
[–] Black616Angel@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Did I say they were pro nuclear? No.

Did the conservatives kill german nuclear? Yes.

Is it too late now to get nuclear working again? Also yes.

Is it a shame nuclear was killed off early? Absolutely.

Did the conservatives kill renewables earlier so Germans had to rely on coal and gas for too long? Correct.

My "signature" for this topic (German unfortunately):

Abschließend will ich dem Thema anfügen, dass wir für mehr als ein Jahrzent eine Politikerin im höchsten politischen Amt hatten, die schon vor dem Antritt der Position überzeugt war, etwas gegen den Klimawandel tun zu müssen und dann fast nichts erreicht hat{pdf} und selbst unzufrieden ist!

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 months ago

I apologize, I can't remember where I heard my information but apparently it was wrong. I just know the Greens in Canada are anti nuclear too. Its a shame we have so many uneducated politicians

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 1 points 7 months ago (3 children)

The German government and science have a very stable relationship.

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[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

That's a very weak point.

A foreign country doesn't want to import animals, and you get mad at them? Get your domestic shit together!

That's like saying that NYC resents Argentina for not taking any of its city rats.

[–] Fisk400@feddit.nu 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

No. It would be if Argentina told NYC that putting out rat traps is cruel and Argentina will block important NYC trade because of this.

NYC would then rightfully ask Argentina if they would like some of their fucking rats because there sure are a lot of them and they provide very little to the NYC economy outside of selling rat traps.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Oh shit. Well, that's fucked up.

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[–] Bonehead@kbin.social 10 points 7 months ago

Nice...avoid the ban on importing trophies, hunt them locally instead!

[–] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I mean, we shouldn't be hunting them at all. They are a very intelligent species that we should study more and not just kill because they are big.

[–] zarcher@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

As mentioned in the article, the numbers of elephants in botswana are growing. And the large number of elephants are causing problems with the human population. You need to do something with the situation.

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Sure, but why would the UK be blamed for it? I don't like the UK for many reasons, but blaming it for the elephant population in some other country is ridiculous.

[–] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

And you think killing a highly intelligent animal is the only solution or do you just have a boner for killing innocent animals?

[–] Anyolduser@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Ignoring any of the (very complicated) issues around human/elephant interactions there's a strictly ecological reason for limited hunting.

Herds have an issue where males past breeding age still try to edge out younger males. These older males can be destructive and violent and it's better for the health of the herd if they're out of the picture when they can't breed anymore.

Those are the elephants that hunting licences are issued for.

[–] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I fully understand the logic behind this, but as a very, very flawed human, I still hate the idea of hunting and killing very intelligent and potentially sapient/sentient animal because it's more convenient for us. It just feels wrong, especially given that we have documented proof of them in mourning after finding one of their own dead.

[–] Anyolduser@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 7 months ago

It's not because it's more convenient for us, it's because it's better for the long term health of the herd and the species.

During times when no hunting licenses are sold (there are only so many wealthy hunters) the preserve rangers have to cull the older males themselves. If they don't the older males will kill younger males to try to defend females they can no longer breed with. Elephants die either way, but fewer (and older ones) die with controlled hunting.

It's also worth remembering that nature is fucking brutal. The ways most herbivores die are by starving, succumbing to disease, or being eaten alive. Getting shot through the heart is the best way to go for an old bull elephant.

[–] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 7 months ago

Send them to California. They can help us rake the forest.

[–] frippa@lemmy.ml 4 points 7 months ago

Hannibal, is that you?

[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

Mr Masisi told German newspaper Bild. "This is no joke."

Ironic, considering that the Bild very much is a joke

[–] Num10ck@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

If Taylor Swift got one then everyone else would too

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