President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana ignited a fiery dispute with Germany over trophy hunting restrictions. Masisi threatened to send a staggering 20,000 elephants to Germany, emphasizing his seriousness with, “It’s not a joke,” according to German newspaper Bild.
This drastic measure comes in response to Germany’s proposed stricter limits on importing hunting trophies. Masisi feels the German government, particularly Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, is out of touch with the situation in Botswana.
“We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world,” Masisi said. He went on to express his frustration, stating, “It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana.” Masisi then challenged Germany to directly experience the challenges of elephant populations by saying, “Live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to.”
While Botswana struggles with an “overpopulation” of elephants, according to CNN, Germany is a major importer of hunting trophies within the European Union. However, stricter import regulations could threaten Botswana’s revenue stream and potentially exacerbate the elephant population issue.
Germany, however, maintains communication with affected African countries. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry stated that Botswana has not raised any official concerns regarding the proposed regulations. The German Environment Ministry also confirmed ongoing discussions with Botswana and other African nations. Currently, German regulations already require import permits for African hunting trophies.
