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South Africa OKs Elephant Hunts

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Los Angeles Times

Published: February 26, 2008

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - South Africa announced Monday that it would allow the killing of elephants as a population control, a move strongly condemned by animal welfare groups.

Beginning in May, the government will lift a 13-year ban on elephant culls, which are usually carried out by shooting entire herds, including youngsters, from helicopters.

The move could hurt the country's tourist industry, with animal welfare lobbies calling for a tourist boycott to protest culling.

"From 1 May, there will no longer be as a policy a moratorium on the culling of elephants. We will allow culling in certain parts of the country. But there is no intention of wholesale slaughter," Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.

The guidelines call for "humane" killing, specifying that a rifle of at least .375-caliber be used. Sharpshooters usually kill entire herds because of the complex social structure of elephants and because young animals need to be taught social behavior by adults in order to survive.

Animal welfare organizations, which strongly oppose the reintroduction of culling, said Monday that there was no humane way to kill elephants. Animal Rights Africa vowed to campaign for a tourist boycott against South Africa.

Although elephants are endangered in other parts of Africa, the population in South Africa is robust. There are 18,000 elephants in South Africa, including more than 12,500 in Kruger National Park, one of the country's most famous tourist attractions.

Elephants can turn woodlands to grass and stubs in a matter of years. They need to roam widely to get their daily diet of about 660 pounds of grass, leaves and twigs and up to 52 gallons of water. And they increasingly clash with people.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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