Zimbabwe Sells Off Wild Animals To Mitigate Food Crises, Hopes Buyers Will Save Them From Drought And Starvation

Zimbabwe will soon start selling off its wild animals. The drought-hit country is desperate and wishes to ensure the survival of its wildlife while it struggles with a terrible food crisis.

Zimbabwe, the country that once boasted of lush green plains teeming with wild animals, is now forced to sell the creatures off in a last-ditch effort to protect them from starvation and death. The country has already started listing its wild animals for sale. Zimbabwe has appealed to neighboring countries to step in and save the poor creatures from a devastating drought.

Drought-hit #Zimbabwe to sell off wild animalshttps://t.co/4rlTsW1wKQ pic.twitter.com/YZKPo1WkVM

— CGTN Africa (@cgtnafrica) May 4, 2016

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe has sent invitations to local farmers and private game rangers to buy off wild animals. The country wishes to quickly de-stock its national game reserves and insists the procedure is a frantic effort to save the poor creatures from starvation. Individuals and private gamekeepers “with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife” have been requested to step in and buy wild animals “in the light of the drought,” shared Parks and wildlife authority spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo.

“In light of the drought … Parks and Wildlife Management Authority intends to de-stock its parks estates through selling some of the wildlife.”

The country intends to transfer the wild animals to people or organizations that have “enough land to hold the animals.” Zimbabwe hasn’t begun the sale, but it has invited people with the means to “get in touch to register an interest.” The spokesperson did not offer the exact details about the number of animals available for sale or the species that will be sold. Moreover, the country hasn’t yet decided on a price.

Zimbabwe has 10 national parks. Each sprawling sanctuary was once famous for its wide variety of flora and fauna. These parks had huge populations of elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffalos, reported Africa News. However, the relentless drought has taken a huge and devastating toll not only on the local human population but also on the animals. With watering holes drying up, animals have had to undertake much longer treks. Overcrowding at the few places that still holds some water has created problems for the creatures who are jostling for a drink.

while we are reserving our wildlife Drought Forces Zimbabwe to Sell Animals https://t.co/tmtHm3j5Wb via @NatGeoEducation

— Soy (@soy_pauline) May 4, 2016

Many weak and ill animals have been dying by the hundreds. Meanwhile, the drought has left more than four million Zimbabweans in desperate need of aid. Agriculture has been the worst hit, with crops burning for want of irrigation. Moreover, with thousands of acres of cash crops like maize and tobacco destroyed, the country is already on the brink of economic collapse. Besides wildlife tourism, Zimbabwe depended on the export of these crops to bring in the much-needed foreign exchange.

Incidentally, it is not with the intention of earning foreign currency that Zimbabwe is selling off its wild animals. The country insists it wants to offer new homes and a decent chance of survival to these creatures. Although the country may sell off its wild animals in the best of intentions, the fate of these creatures may remain uncertain. Last year, Zimbabwe exported 60 elephants, half of them to China, where the animals are prized for their tusks, reported DBTechno. While the country claims it sold off the mammals to “cut the ballooning population,” wildlife groups protested strongly, reported Phys.org.

when in drought, sell your wildlife https://t.co/LYMRStDv4s

— David Biello (@dbiello) May 4, 2016

Zimbabwe currently has an elephant population exceeding 80,000. About 54,000 of these elephants live in the western Hwange National Park. The park can sustain just 25 percent of these elephants, noted the agency. Moreover, the park has no rivers and has to rely on pumps that draw water from underground wells. To date, foreign donors had been footing the bill for the fuel needed for these pumps, but it seems many have scaled back their donations substantially.

Zimbabwe doesn’t have enough food and water for its human population. Under such circumstances, it simply cannot keep on maintaining its wildlife, note some local conservationists. Hence, the country may be doing the right thing by selling off its wild animals, they added.

[Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/Getty Images]