Botswana reports shooting of two collared elephants — Daily Maverick
In Botswana, on September 3 and 4, two male elephants fitted with satellite collars for scientific research were reportedly shot during separate trophy hunts. Both animals were recognizable research elephants, and employees of Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks were reportedly present at the hunts.
This was reported by Daily Maverick. According to the publication, the elephants were observed and assessed before the shots were fired, and the hunts took place in different hunting areas.
Previous incident in NG3
In November 2019, a collared male elephant was shot in the NG3 controlled hunting area during a licensed hunt accompanied by an employee of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Afterward, Botswana’s Ministry of Environment stated that killing collared animals was “not permitted under any circumstances.”
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According to Daily Maverick, violators could face measures including the revocation of licences. The professional hunters involved in the 2019 incident surrendered their licences, and the hunting industry condemned the case as contrary to ethical hunting standards.
Research data
Satellite collars help record the movements of specific animals. The collected data may concern habitat use, migration corridors, water sources, seasonal movements and elephants’ interactions with people.
The death of an animal ends long-term monitoring of it, and data obtained from a particular elephant cannot be fully restored by fitting a collar to another individual. The publication notes that if the circumstances of the latest hunts are confirmed, Botswana’s authorities must explain what mechanisms for protecting research elephants were introduced after 2019 and how they monitor the ban on shooting them.
