The Zimbabwean government is selling 62 baby elephants to China, France and the United Arab Emirates, it has emerged.
An initially reported figure of 34 has since been raised to 62 calves being taken out of the country away from their mothers as a catastrophic conflict looms in the countryside and war about to break out between elephants and human beings after the beasts’ “sucklings” began being ‘smuggled’ out away under President Robert Mugabe’s command, as earlier reported.
Elephants who have since been deprived of their babies do not forget and this is very dangerous for future visitors to the tourist resorts, warned animal conservation experts, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.
“Why is Zimbabwe stealing from the future generation’s natural resources? The baby elephants quite likely won’t survive the trip and the only crime they have committed is being born in Zimbabwe. They are now being sentenced to a life of inhuman treatment. This is very traumatic, not only for the baby elephants but also for their families. Elephants don’t forget and this is very dangerous for future visitors to Hwange,” the ZCTF said in a statement.
In defense of the smuggling, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority chairperson Jerry Gotora however said the exports will be carefully controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The exports are expected to start in the first quarter of 2015 after assessment of their destination.
“Zimbabwe got allocations from CITES to export elephants to suitable destinations and one of the destinations is China,” Gotora was quoted saying. He continued saying they will be sent to the United Arab Emirates who want 15 elephants, China 27 and France between 15 and 20.
Gotora claimed that Zimbabwe has 80,000 elephants against a carrying capacity of 42,000 and this was not sustainable in the long run.
Proceeds from the export of the elephants would be used to fund the running of game parks while a portion would be allocated to communities living near the game reserves, he said.