Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany | BBC News

The president of Botswana has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a dispute over conservation.
Earlier this year, Germany's environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing trophies from hunting animals.
Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi told German media this would only make people poorer in his country.
He said elephant numbers had exploded as a result of conservation efforts, and hunting helped keep them in check.
Read more on the BBC News website: bbc.in/3vCkyHG
Subscribe here: bit.ly/1rbfUog
For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news
#BBCNews

[@crumblycookie3518]

I don’t think Germany has considered how funny it would be to be able to spot random elephants in a field of cows or sheep

[@nvmtt]

based

[@krugerfuchs]

It's not funny

[@ER-je3fd]

Germans have no sense of humor. You are asking something impossible.

[@annarichter484]

It would keep the wolves away 🤔

[@mikeoglen6848]

Would there be enough free space for 20k elephants in Germany, though?

[@01001Wintermute]

The last time elephants were moved across borders of Europe had Hanibal at its head and nearly overrun Rome......

[@napoleoncomplex2712]

Technically it was the Roman invasion of Macedon that culminated in the Battle of Cynoscephalae (the Dog's Heads). Also 'Cynoscephalae' is a pain to spell.

[@01001Wintermute]

@@napoleoncomplex2712I feel your pain just reading that spelling.

[@andrewthomson870]

Poland desperately hoping this story isn't true. 😆

[@cesaryaelmurillo4367]

Germany: Hello Poland you heard that?Poland: -sweating profusely.... Botwana send them to me!

[@aquss33]

Am I misunderstanding something, zoos exist right? So they need to move elephants across borders in Europe...

[@miri-dz9oy]

Greetings to Botswana from Germany. I appreciate the humor of your politicians. 😂🤣

[@thekaiser4333]

Greetings to Germany from Botsuana. Die Politiker hier sehen das überhaupt nicht mit Humor und packen bereits die Elefanten in Kisten ein. Die meinen das ernst.

[@phubblewubbphubblewubb]

Whilst I disagree with trophy hunting I'm not sure the Elephants would appreciate the move to Europe.

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

We should take their Rhinos too. Give them somewhere safe to live.

[@chrisbennett6260]

they can unite with their relatives in thoes european zoos and circues

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

​@@Patrick-y4d1zthat is the weirdest and most detached from reality comment I have ever read from someone passing as trying to protect animals and wildlife. It is almost as if you were completely ignorant, completely oblivious to the concept of "natural habitat" and "animal needs" and had never heard of what happens to eco systems when a foreign species is introduced...

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

@@TheAllMightyGodofCod Elephants are native species in Botswana. They're not an invasive species (the term you were looking for). It's very basic, the population will increase until the environment cannot support a larger population, this is what happens in literally every ecosystem around the world. The only times this is different, is when a species in the food chain is removed. This is not that case here. You don't know what you're talking about and are evidently "detached from reality".

[@Chichi-sl2mq]

@@Patrick-y4d1zI bet you are from Europe. Or where there are no Elephants . Lesson time. Botswana is a country in Southern Africa. Southern African is experiencing a drought at the moment. ...STAY WITH ME. elephants usually move from country to country looking for food and water. Botswana has the Okavango Delta. But remember there is a draught there, so are not enough resources to feed all the animals not just elephants. STAY WITH ME. in addition to that, elephants destroy the environment as in degrade woodlands ..so imagine the few trees left and a heard of elephants. Conservation means establishing balance. State your country, Botswana can send you a few thousand if f you want to save them so much. They are not the only animals in Botswana.

[@tinashechaonwa2679]

Surely people need to realise the President was being sarcastic....he was just driving a point. Extreme animal conservation has detrimental effects on savannah ecosystems

[@jacobjacob2502]

True

[@freshguy4]

True cause elephants got no natural predators except from humans

[@wallnut7624]

​@@freshguy4young Elephants are very vulnerable to predators though?

[@ligiaguedes77]

​ho are their natural predators? Lions?

[@jacqueslin8178]

@@ligiaguedes77 Lions and Hyenas I'd guess. Generally, they would target babies as most predators do. Adult elephants aren't impossible but it's really if the opportunity presents itself/how many lions are there in the pride that can hunt one down. My guess is the elephant population are growing too quickly, not even their predators (aside from humans) are able to keep up on controling them

[@andrewthomson870]

Kinda weird as a hunting trophy: if you miss your shot at an elephant you've got to be one lousy marksman.

[@makeracistsafraidagain]

These are not “marksmen”. They rarely kill with a single shot.

[@bloodlove93]

actually depending on the gun used and the guide, it's often advised to shoot a particular area,i don't know exactly where but it's around the ear area and around the size of a paper plate at most. you don't shoot elephants like a moose, very few guns have the power to go clean through an elephant and still kill it(you could hit it with something containing an armor piercing component but only the hardened central part would punch through leaving a teeny tiny hole, depending on location and luck,the elephant could heal from that) heck some bears have been found with dozens of bullets in them from people who shot but didn't kill it,same can happen with elephants.

[@ronlacker326]

What is you're hundreds of feet away?

[@michaelgordon8142]

Little known fact: the golden gun in N64's *Goldeneye* was based on elephant hunting where even if you shoot it in the leg, it dies instantly.

[@tedhubertcrusio372]

Europeans: *forgot that big bore rifles like the M82A1 still exist*

[@imZeroedIn]

What a headline lol

[@Skimbledimble]

I instantly had to know wtf it meant haha

[@AdamBechtol]

ha

[@GekovarMoonandStar]

Ngl I thought it was an April fools news report when I read it

[@duncanwallace7760]

I hate trophy hunting, but Botswana is very good at conservation compared with most other countries. You often see many animals outside their national parks, sometimes while driving along their main roads, which you don't often see elsewhere.

[@BothoMoradu]

At list someone can relate to what we have to face everyday.

[@CcpCcp-sk6dt]

It also helps their economics

[@mrsentencename7334]

Germany would give them a logistical and organisation award if they actually pulled it off

[@hus390]

Germany is the land of hypocrisy! Just like they bash other European countries for wanting to discourage migrants’ boats, while they won’t step up to take them.

[@Stefan-ei5wg]

@@csuporj Doubt they have the means necesarry to transport 2 elephants either by air or sea to germany..let alone 100.

[@Stefan-ei5wg]

@@csuporj Indeed! LOL Germany should provide it's cargo air-fleet or/ and navy to transport the elephants..no? Pretty typical africal rethoric to blaim everyone else for their problemes and misfortunes but not themselves..and the president of botwana makes no exception..

[@pieter-bashoogsteen2283]

@@csuporjRich countries do not force you to live with any animals that didn’t already live their naturally and you should protect endemic nature. Also these animals aren’t dangerous unless you deliberately bother them.

[@pieter-bashoogsteen2283]

@@csuporj who knows if bears can still live there maybe they should be reintroduced. And a couple dozen people being attacked by bears every year, of course unfortunate, but I would argue a pretty negligible amount when if helps the bear keep its habitat. Like right now in the Netherlands wolfs are slowly returning to our country and we have a growing population. I think we should accommodate the wolf, so our nature can recover. Just the same you should protect the bear so it can continue living in Romania.

[@HemanthKumarJadhav]

Botswana is a land locked country with population of 2 &1/2 million people. More than 1/3 of world Elephant population(130,000) is from Botswana. Botswana is thriving in conversation efforts of its elephants while its neighbouring countries failed to do so. They have good wildlife tourism and diamond exports which they inturn invest/fund in conservation. Botswana knows how to manage its elephant population. How is Germany to lecture them? Let's see if they can manage the 20,000 Elephants from Botswana.

[@OldRhino]

You are mistaken. Conservation is very important to South Africa as well. It even has an elephant orphanage, to protect and rehabilitate juvenile elephants who were left orphaned by poachers.

[@abrakadaver7495]

Proof that Africans, unlike us Germans, have a good sense of humor.

[@harrison1053]

Yep like it's obviously not going to happen it's a joke to tell Germany to stop pecking Botswana's head.

[@thanquolrattenherz9665]

well sending them with the german railroads would be illegal too probably since it would take so long they arrive as tusk and bones only

[@eingeist21]

stop the dickriding

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

Africa being stupid as per usual also.

[@olddirtymongrrel]

Proof also that Europeans cannot stop trying to dictate to Africans on how they run their own countries.

[@geoms6263]

We thank the people of Botswana for this wonderful gift. Is shipping free?

[@hus390]

Germany is the land of hypocrisy! Just like they bash other European countries for wanting to discourage migrants’ boats, while they won’t step up to take them.

[@TheHiYaku]

Haha! Perhaps courtesy of DHL

[@EnkiPtah]

😂😂😂

[@s6352]

No! 😮

[@andrewthomson870]

"You're going to need a bigger boat."

[@ENTERTAININGVIDEOS1]

BMA Or 100s of trip on the same boat!!!

[@NyanyiC]

on the way back, with whatever vessel they find, they can bring Pablo Escobar's hippos back to Africa- The hippos are causing chaos in Columbia!!

[@tirobriantsetse6486]

That's the plan, even bigger. We waiting on Noah to finish building the ark.

[@uncontrollable343]

I think Botswana could be underestimating the cost of sending freight by air.

[@NeeloOppedal]

SHIP 🚢

[@cameronspence4977]

Ship is way cheaper

[@DMC377]

The point is the ridiculous suggestions by the Germans on how to control these large animals. Clearly they know not what it takes to have such animals in their thousands. These are not zoo pets. They eat over 400kg of vegetation daily.

[@FictionHubZA]

They would ship them.

[@notyourordinarygran]

​​@@FictionHubZA20,000 elephants? Do you realise how much vegetation they would have to carry to feed them for the time it would take for them to travel that far? Would you leave them to starve on their journey? Also, no one has to.let you into port to offload your cargo, there are rules.

[@aquamates-sa5452]

I detest the idea of hunting intelligent and social elephants, but one should still praise developing countries for actually setting aside large tracts of land for wildlife. These are truly vast areas, thousands of square kilometres devoted to nature. A population of 130 000 elephants in a single country, that for the most part only has sufficient vegetation in the northern half of the country, is still a great number. Surely Botswana is not populated by many people, but wildlife management is important for ecosystem balance and sustainable harmony. I do think it is quite hypoctrical when European countries believe they are ultimate masters of all moral compasses, when Europe itself does not even have vast, undisturbed tracts of land left for wildlife. Centuries of agricultural and industrial development has left little for nature, but has led to socio-economic stability of its people. There are always trade-offs. There are current rewilding efforts in Europe that should be applauded, but it will take long to scale to large areas. In 2017 a European bison wondered into Germany and got shot - was relocation not feasible? My whole point in this verbose comment is that all perspectives should be considered (in most instances)

[@opelokebaitse2295]

Very well said!

[@NyanyiC]

well said

[@bazingapuzza]

You are not very smart

[@dc7052]

Point of correction BBC presenter, The Elephants are not sent to Angola but they themselves often migrate to greener pasture seasonly or anunally so make a correct statement there. Thankyou.

[@Funtime_edits]

They won't listen to you

[@oratilemasala9470]

Nope we actually sent 6000 elephants to Angola. It wad last year. Your president was at the ceremony held prior to their launch. It was public feel free to google it.

[@FetsumBerhaneDire]

From what I read about it They actually sent 8000 to Angola and 500 to Mozambique

[@youme1414]

The videos are on KZbin of Botswana sending out these elephants. So do your research before making your statement, sir.

[@mandowarrior123]

BBC are rarely correct or accurate nowadays.

[@seanturner1197]

I live in Botswana. The elephants here are like swarms of locusts but deadlier; they destroy crops by either eating them or trampling on them and are known to kill people.

[@eyesj531]

I mean at least they are cool

[@deadname99_43]

Botswana has a third of all elephants in Africa, they literally have a plague of elephants, and they use elephant hunting for their conservation and care. This threat is, "You want to impose your moral superiority on us by telling us how to do things in our country, okay, then I will give you 20 thousand elephants for free and try to take care of them if you think it is that easy."

[@SubjectiveFunny]

As a South African, Elephants are by far my favorite animal, but people do not realize how destructive they can be.. There is almost nothing you can build that will stop them from getting onto your land, pulling down trees, breaking the fencing and releasing your livestock into the wild..

[@Peter_Sokunbi]

Get more ants

[@chrisbennett6260]

@@Peter_Sokunbi get real

[@ronyoduor]

Beehives

[@theflipflapchannelcreatedb8160]

What about mice😂😂

[@sudokuacrobatics]

50 meter wall

[@samwhitty3036]

elephants are not "trophy"

[@l-dogtheman1685]

The ruling green party in Germany does not want animals killed and thus bans any imports that promote those killings. What a surprise...

[@ABanRocks]

Easy to say when Europe has pretty much killed all their dangerous and big animals already.

[@manvendrasingh943]

That's what she said

[@aquss33]

why not though? if you can have a deer trophy, why not an elephant? It's all the same, unless it's endangered... I agree it's not particularly nice to kill animals, but what else are you gonna do, let them overrun cities and ruin other animal populations?

[@FetsumBerhaneDire]

They can be if there are 130 thousand of them in just one country. You don’t want to much of anything Just like jellyfish

[@ramelak1635]

I live in lovely Botswana, and really this is being taken in many directions. Fact is, Botswana has done a fantastic job of wildlife conservation and the 20,000 comment was made more sarcastically I would think. Most Western countries "manage" their wildlife population by using hunting as an effective alternative. The ethics of this can be debated endlessly and really points to the broader picture of killing animals for fun. There are many angles to this and imo no one correct answer in the end

[@soghitankoiko6059]

this comment should be seen by everyone

[@iamtheelijah4365]

Animals doesn't like this, first of all ask permission from the elephants

[@billbo9761]

Okay, hello Mr Elephant. Would you rather stay where you are, where people hunt and kill you for your ivory tusks or would you rather move to a location where you're no longer hunted and killed for your ivory tusks. 🤔😂

[@KentVigilante]

Humans are the apex predator so regardless of feelings we get to decide their fate not them, same as a pack of hungry hyena's deciding the fate of Meerkats

[@GoodwillMaphungo]

I agree with the president because it seems like you people don't know how we live this side right

[@GoodwillMaphungo]

​@@billbo9761 is not that we like it but this animals are more than we can handle, just last week a man almost died from an elephant attack so can I ask you something what if it was your father who was almost killed by an elephant 😢

[@SashedPotato]

​@@KentVigilanteas intelligent species, we should be using our intelligence to act as stewards of the earth, not its destructors. I cannot see how you think you have the right idea. Additionally, elephants are very, very intelligent. They are one of the most likely candidates for sapience in non-human animals, and have been seen to develop traditions and cultures, even performing death ceremonies when a park ranger that protected them died. Never underestimate them.

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

I live in the UK, where we hunt and cull to manage animal populations taking in the needs of people, the wider environment, other animal and plant life etc into consideration. No animals in the UK are directly dangerous to people in the same way they are in Botswana. Botswana has the premier record on conservation, so I think its inappropriate for the UK to take action in any way that undermines Botswanas needs to manage their wider conservation policy, whether that be by threatening income options that helps towards the wider programme or anything else. I can't help but find the UK position hypocritical when we take action to manage our animal population and its impact on human specific interests, and we have hunting and culling and already killed off every threatening species of animal such as bears and wolves etc. That said, I have never hunted, but then neither am I a vegetarian. I also dont have to worry whether elephants are threatening my food or water sources or might be a danger to me or my children just going about my day to day life. As Botswana has done such an incredible job, better than anywhere else, at conserving elephants, perhaps everyone else should be supporting the policies they put in place to underpin that programme and also protect habitat for other animals and that includes people too.

[@rina3822]

Excellent respectful perspective.

[@dawwilliams8024]

Botswana is a beautiful country!

[@pip5461]

What would they use to transport the elephants...? A Jumbo-jet...!

[@oneshothunter9877]

😂 Damn. 😂😂😂

[@ztaylor82]

Dumbo jet 😂

[@NeeloOppedal]

A ship 🚢

[@matty101yttam]

Don't be stupid, their trunks would never fit in the overhead lockers, they'd never even get past the carry on weight.

[@mikeoglen6848]

Would need to be a Military Transport Plane, I would think...

[@musangu_m3]

This to me sounds like, the president of Botswana is telling the Germany leader to learn how to mind his business. ROFL!

[@gerezakatembo]

Masisi knows that can't happen, He's just sending a message.

[@NZrq9mq]

Trophy hunting is just sadistic and borderline sociopathic. Send the elephants to other African countries where the elephant populations are lower. Example Kenya, Ethiopia , Tanzania.

[@TheHiYaku]

Spoken like someone who doesn't understand why it exists..

[@TshumuKokgalagadi]

They can come and collect as many as they want.

[@okene]

Why not send them to Germany? Or whatever hole you're from

[@etherean369]

Elephant population lower but we have a lot of people, ecologies that are already at a delicate balance, and our own elephants. Also, remember HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF US HUMAN AFRICANS will have to live near these very dangerous animals everyday. Kindly don't forget our lives matter too. We're doing all we can to maintain our environment while not endangering ourselves. And that's before population control. It's either we coexist or let humans suffer. We need to balance.

[@gerezakatembo]

No. They are too many already in Kenya, hatuwataki.

[@jettser17UK]

Whatever happened to spreading them around Africa on its own continent?! Technically it's the human population that's exploded not elephants!

[@TheHiYaku]

They know they're safer here, so they come back. Always!! ALWAYS

[@joyboyvisuals8115]

why no wild animals in europe tho ? all killed ?

[@ignatiousmasukusa970]

That relocation option has been on the tables since 1995 from Southern African countries that have excess elephants...Guess what no media or accuser wants to sponsor relocation...the insistance on this offer led to the temporary supension of elephant tusk sales then to help finance consevation then ....Its nice to ban culling when you have no relations being trampled on by Elephants...I suppose we are wild game to them....armchair conservationist i mean...

[@whitefox998]

If you are not aware of the population bounce back of Bush elephants in recent decades and cannot conceive of the logistical and political difficulties of redistributing herds of the largest terrestrial mammal then you are too ignorant to have an opinion.

[@johnsitumbeko732]

Botswana has less than 3 million people and its bigger than France. The elephant crisis has nothing to do with a growing human population, but rather the growing elephant population.

[@juvenaldasilva413]

The most elephants ran away from Angola at time of the war.

[@chrisbennett6260]

really i thought was a war

[@knowz2367]

So these elephants are refugees in Botswana.

[@stefanmargraf7878]

As a German i have to say: Welcome Elephants!

[@sm_91]

Hope you don't send them back when they block your Autobahn

[@javierborja8322]

How about dealing with the people that is dying due to war first and then we all worry about the elephants.

[@Suzie-he9ni]

Leave the beautiful animals alone.

[@CornyBum]

When their population gets large enough, those beautiful animals don't always leave us alone, with sometimes disastrous results.

[@Suzie-he9ni]

@@CornyBum I understand it can be dangerous but you have to improvise to coexist. They are God's creatures.

[@katlomasilo9997]

@@Suzie-he9nitell us how to coexist with them. Give us solutions

[@gunner4life568]

@@Suzie-he9ni how do you coexist with an animal that by its own eat about 145kg of vegetation daily and destroy woodlands ? just imagine having thousands of them also you have to remember southern africa is a dry region we hardly get rain

[@gerezakatembo]

​@@gunner4life568most people commenting don't know what it is like to be near elephants, they can't coexist with people.

[@greghill7759]

What kind of person would want to kill an elephant?

[@KentVigilante]

A person that wants to cull a massive invasive species, Elephants can weigh as much as Tyrannosaurus rex maybe more if you have 150,000 of them that's a lot of resources being drained that other life needs to thrive including the people living in the same region as those elephants.

[@mikafiltenborg7572]

A sick person

[@yaya-sf7qm]

Are elephants more important than human life?

[@Serati-vp4es]

​@@mikafiltenborg7572yeah a person thats "sick" and tired of their food being destroyed and eaten, a person thats "sick" of losing family members to these animals. Please stfu if you don't live in Botswana and understand what we have to go through on a daily.

[@martinladley]

Conflation. Just answer the original question without your own posturing. @@yaya-sf7qm

[@really8930]

Germany and UK should set aside thousands of acres of land for elephant preservation and let them roam free across the farmlands of the country. Would be part of a noble cause, right? It’s what we called in England when I was a boy: “ putting your money where your mouth is”.

[@onismomufare2860]

The message is, "leave us alone, you know nothing"

[@susanb4816]

The various conservation efforts mean governments are paid to protect the animals . Let them deport the elephants rather than kill them

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Overall 30.000 African Elephant are killed every year so Bots is one of the few places that has seen a increase in population but still in about 15 years African Elephant will be extinct in the wild. There are around 400.000 left.

[@chrisbennett6260]

were the links @@HOLLASOUNDS

[@nicolas2419]

To deport an elephant, it is not an easy and cheap option. That can be done but probably not in large proportion. Then deporting elephants to countries where the risk of poaching is high is not a very good idea.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@nicolas2419 They are not deporting anything they are being dramatic because they want western founding because it is the west who is telling Africa to stop killing its Elephants and Rhino to extinction. I bet that without Western intervention they would of already made them extinct, with 30.000 Elephants killed every year, that leaves about 11 years before extinction. Rhino even more rare with just 6,195 black rhinos and 15,942 white rhinos with one variant northern white Rhino basically already extinct with two females left and no males.

[@chrisbennett6260]

@@HOLLASOUNDS says who were are the majority of elephants still found ,what happened to all the mammoths Europe

[@markplain2555]

Here in Toronto we have a lion park with African lions. I about the middle of winter when it is about minus 20 celcius, I am sure the lions ponder to themselves, "Something makes me feel we were not meant to be here." I somehow thing those Elephants would feel the same in Germany... just saying.

[@raclark2730]

There used to be lions in many habitats like Europe and central Asia. I think north America had a version in prehistoric times.

[@chrisbennett6260]

@@raclark2730 yeah tens of thousands of years ago shall we try to go back in time there used to be tasmaian tigers in Australia who killed them ,who killed the lions in europe and Asia homie

[@raclark2730]

@@chrisbennett6260 The Roman empire largely finished of the European lions and the introduction of the Dingo ( Asian Dog ) finished of the Thylacine on the mainland , sheep farmers finished them in Tasmania.. Both are a case of they knew not what they did. We know better know ( or should ) so I agree it is best to keep things were they are. And Botswana does not need to be told by Germany. They made that Elephant population with their own conservation efforts.

[@chrisbennett6260]

@@raclark2730 i beg to differ they knew exactily what they did and purposefully eliminated it in australia and Tasmania for their own reasons, and they havent learnt some south african who became an australan mooted the idea of creation an african safari in Australia which i bonkers ,disrespectful and out of order no consultation from african countries nothinhg .and thats bad

[@raclark2730]

@@chrisbennett6260 There were no Thylacine ( at least known populations ) out side of Tasmania at European arrival. Fossil records only show them on the mainland.

[@eliaswiebe6862]

The stupid government of my country got roasted XD

[@TheLightFF906]

Respect to Boswana for a good conservation of those elephants. I hope to visit and photo those elephants one day

[@Tarbtano]

The key thing to note here is he is not saying he is going to wipe out all of the elephants, as long as the population is managed it will endure just fine. Trophy hunting might sound unpalatable, but it gives incentive to keep a constant population, gives a lot of much needed money to the local economy, and is often used to help fund conservation.

[@John-ke7yr]

Human is more dangerous not elephants.

[@koentjuh2222]

imagine sitting in your little german town when the ground starts shaking and you can hear the elephant song from junglebook in the distance

[@defence3355]

😁😄😆😂🤣

[@wtl912]

Germany: fine... we'll send 200 people screaming and ready to get drunk.

[@lvl76hobo11]

There’s not too many elephants. Theres too many people.

[@chrisbennett6260]

were are you from

[@martinladley]

Oh dear, here we go again. Cheer up you old misanthrope. Love thy neighbour eh ?

[@greenleader758]

So? you want to hunt people? For the areas in Botswana, there are simply too many elephants

[@stevekamundi1563]

In Botsuana there are like three million people living on an area the size of france, there are not really too many people

[@greenleader758]

@@stevekamundi1563 In protected areas there are too many elephants. Most of Botswana is also not a suitable habitat for elephants as well. Same thing in South Africa. Too many elephants in Kruger are destroying the environment inside the park and negatively affecting other species

[@Louisejames23]

Is it "offers" or "threatens", BBC not really clear here....

[@skub2]

130,000 elephants is nowhere near the numbers of what they used to be in Botswana and Africa as a whole. 10 million African elephants in 1900 reduced to 1.3 million in 1979, then to 415,000 in 2015. The difference is Botswana’s population growth and increase in farming. These elephants are critical to reversing desertification and are a key component to sustaining the local ecosystems which both people and wildlife depend on. More of Botswana’s elephants should be transported to neighbouring countries across the continent representing their former range, and farmers need more education and financial support to live alongside them in harmony. Electric fencing; Habitat protection and restoration in degraded areas; Modified farming techniques; More investment into ecotourism and parkland.

[@chrisbennett6260]

were the money coming from homie

[@Joshua-xf9ev]

And you have clearly never lived with Elephants or near Elephants. They destroy crops and humans in Botswana.

[@cameronspence4977]

​@@Joshua-xf9evright exactly, so just tranquilize them and send them to other areas. Elephants sent to countries in the sahel could stop the destructive desertification occurring in those nations

[@Anyreck]

Repopulation large areas of former elephant range is important but only possible with large ongoing sustained budget for antipoaching, fencing where needed, park road & infrastructure development, neighboring community development & compensation for ele damage, staff training and management etc etc. Many sites / countries in Africa are not ready or able to do this. Some have their own dwindling herds they can't protect.

[@SubLordHawk]

​@chrisbennett6260 The US military spends the yearly budget of Nasa in ~30 hours; they can spare a bit "homie".

[@jillybeanjillybean2322]

Can I suggest some germanic names for the elephants Olaf, Ralf, Jorge, Christian, Inga, Sven, Marcus, Walt, Sebastian, Doris, Vera, Anna, Miriam, Ursula, Maria... 😂

[@xena2559]

So that's it. Elephants don't matter, just money.

[@chrisbennett6260]

you have them then

[@xena2559]

@@chrisbennett6260 your comment is just a proof that money matters more than life. Thx 4 confirming.

[@chrisbennett6260]

@@xena2559 well yes just ask your politicians,and follow the news

[@xena2559]

@@chrisbennett6260 ask about what? It's people that led to the situation. If a sanctuary is created then one must foresee the consequences. The gov agreed to that. The only solution in my opinion is to relocate them to other sanctuaries, create protection zones and control birth. Farmers have to be insured against crop losses even in Botswana so they can get their money back. Oh yeah, money is more important than life to many. Humans tend to breed exponentially without thinking of the future. Men like to kill life, they like wars where eventually they kill their own species. Sometimes the stupidity of homo sapiens amazes me greatly. It's not about you personally, it's the effect on me after reading tons and tons of utterly stupid comments.

[@powertechnical]

You need some money?

[@TheEnginator]

It's not a threat. It's an offer, because Germany cares so much about elephants and loves them. It's like giving away a child to social service officials.

[@tonyfairey7733]

I've already adopted a snow tiger , a pangulin , a white rino but my garden s getting full.

[@thiven]

Is that all your animals, your poor my friend, I have 3 pet t rex's and 20 velocirapators + 10 mammoths 🙃

[@tonyfairey7733]

@@thiven doesn't do much for your lawn, does it.😁

[@carlrodalegrado4104]

Botswana is suffering from success from saving the lives of Elephants

[@samsmith2635]

To Save Elephants and other animals is to stop consuming their environments or saving them wont matter. Stop the Human scourge on the planet. We need balance

[@zeitgeist5134]

Oh, I couldn't agree more. I am in anguish over the loss of habitat, the extinction of species (for me, each a death in the family). There are too many people, too damn many. When my father was born in 1899, the population was 2 billion. Wilderness still thrived all over the planet, the Colorado still flowed into the Sea of Cortez, the ocean was full of fish. Stop having babies (especially in affluent countries).

[@Exxperiment626]

Start by not having kids.

[@petermack8398]

You first then

[@zeitgeist5134]

​@@petermack8398​A brief, elliptical comment is open to misinterpretation, a common occurrence in KZbin replies. It's a problem. You might do well to make a more lengthy statement. The "You first then" thing, are you replying to my comment? It goes deep with me. My father mourned the grievous harm done to wilderness and wild creatures by the expanding population. I never had any intention of contributing to over-population, going back to my teens in the 60's. I never gave birth. So, yes, I am not a hypocrite. Sorry if I was mistaken in positing that you were directing your comment to me. (It's also helpful to start typing after the moniker of the person to whom you are addressing.)

[@zeitgeist5134]

@@Exxperiment626 I have tried to persuade friends, good people who call themselves environmentalists, not to have kids. (A VEGAN replied, "But it's only human!" I said, "Tell that to the starving polar bears.") No luck. I don't understand them. A friend's daughter just had a baby. Does she not know that the planet will be a living hell when that kid is in old age?

[@dnkyhntr]

100000 Syrians for 20000 elephants.....deal?

[@ncubesays]

Bravo Botswana!! What Europeans don't realise is not just how expensive conservation is but also the knock-on effects on the environment. Africans don't dictate how Europeans manage their wildlife. Chobe (in Botswana) and nearby Hwange (in Zimbabwe) are seriously over-populated because of laudable efforts done by their respective countries.

[@Domi3454]

⁠that’s exactly the point, Europe is not dictating Botswana how they should handle their animals. Neither are they responsible to provide aid or solutions. They mind their own business in making laws of what’s allowed and not allowed to enter their own countries. What Botswana is angry about, is possible loss of income if there would be less European hunters visiting and paying to kill the elephants. They aren’t worried about too many elephants, they can kill them themselves quite fine.

[@chrisbennett6260]

mind their own buisness are you having a laugh history and current events prove otherwise do me a faxour mate

[@chrisbennett6260]

who said anything about aid or solutions lol @@Domi3454

[@ncubesays]

​@@Domi3454I suggest you look up the CITES treaty from 30 odd years ago of which Germany is a signatory. Countries have hunting limits which were put in place quite rightly so when elephant numbers were dwindling. Now that those numbers have recovered countries like Germany are not only refusing to desanction the treaty but are also enacting laws which penalise the same countries that are conservation success stories. I live in Zimbabwe and the overpopulation is getting here too so bad now that it's not uncommon to come across elephant graveyards of hundreds due to starvation and dehydration. The humane thing is to reduce the numbers in a controlled and sensible way.

[@Domi3454]

@@ncubesaysthanks for the advice, will look it up.

[@clairdelune1806]

Germany should accept them.

[@lyraserpentine894]

"Trophy hunting is not a threat to any species." WAT.

[@raclark2730]

There are not enough trophy hunters in the world to do that. Its not a big thing anymore. Its horn and tusk hunters that are the threat. And only one market buys that stuff.

[@atomictraveller]

individuals don't matter, it's the new state.

[@raclark2730]

@@atomictraveller China.

[@atomictraveller]

@@raclark2730 ride, it, until, its, shiny, holmes.

[@raclark2730]

@@atomictraveller Gay

[@JohnH-mo5mb]

This shows how low the BBC has sunken. If they had any journalistic brains, they would’ve discovered that Botswana is twice the size of Germany, yet has a 30th of the population. Doesn’t even get close in comparing space available for large wildlife. This is show, but not news.

[@Average_Bruh]

This will never happen. They would die come winter. They have no fur. What are they to do when winter comes and snow is everywhere with temperatures below freezing?

[@TheLordRichard]

The stronger ones will evolve and develop fur. And in time forming a new species of mammoths 🦣 Europe should accept some elephant migrants and release them in the wild

[@meferswift]

it would be responsibiility of germany.

[@PeculiarFinds]

Good for Africa! Stand up to these disgraceful, hypocritical colonial dictators! One day they might learn to think before they speak! 😂😂😂

[@danyaphotoart]

люди - вот проблема

[@jamesmichaels4979]

Usually the Russian people.

[@anthonyhulse1248]

@@jamesmichaels4979in other people’s countries 👍🏻

[@FL3XW3]

“Threatens” that’s a ridiculous word to use in this post.

[@tyrellburt1967]

Threatened or endangered species should never be hunted Edit : typo

[@derekatkins4800]

The news report told us that elephants in Botswana are not endangered; if anything, it sounds like there may be too many elephants. This is why the government of Botswana allows the hunting of elephants. I think we should trust that the government of Botswana has a far better understanding of the situation than anyone else, and trust that allowing elephants to be hunted-in limited numbers, of course-should be permitted. Furthermore, the reality is that those who hunt animals like elephants for sport are very much in favor of animal conservation in order to ensure that there will always be animals to hunt now and in the future.

[@Acolis]

@@MikeJJJemptybladder i need cash. does that mean i can take people around america to hunt endangered species, like manatees, or red wolves, or condors?

[@chrisbennett6260]

try telling that to the palestians @support_people_not_evil

[@TheHiYaku]

​@@Acolisclearly you don't sustain the knowledge or understanding to be part of this conversation... Elephants aren't endangered here, it's elsewhere that they are. What they are however, to the humans, is a danger and threat to their livelihood and existence

[@Acolis]

@@TheHiYaku thats now how endangered and threatened species work. clearly its you who lacks the understanding.

[@letsoamaregofiwapapimagome]

Thank you Prof..any country willing to get the elephants are most welcome to my country Botswana

[@TjakaErasmus]

Hunters pay for conservation.

[@chrisbennett6260]

thats a danm lie from the hunters lobby and apologists

[@pennywise8157]

In eastern Germany there's a lot of free space. Let them come I say! Elephant refugees welcome!

[@chrisbennett6260]

elephants are very destructiive ,its all fine and dandy from the saftey and comfort of your arm chair in europe ,but if your a villager in rual africa or a farmer its far from easy germany ,England france,belguim,holland,denmark,spain,portugal europe will not be allowing elephants to trample through its countryside uprooting trees and eating through crops and fields

[@chrisbennett6260]

but there banning the trophy hunting perhaps they can send all the exotic animals caged in zoos back to africa if you can see them in your own countries what need is therr for safri tours

[@Domi3454]

Nobody denies that elephants are dangerous to their environment. Still, every country has right to pass their own laws. Be it Botswana or Germany.

[@siphiwetraceyjohn-chinga8384]

Thank you @chrisbennett6260 the government is struggling with reimbursing damage by elephants, growing crops is a mission (wait! it's not a mission,we can't grow crops because they are grazed by elephants,livelihoods of farmers are in a dire state)right now when your fence has been destroyed. I think some people tend to speak without having done the research or of course having not experienced what we go through as farmers. Botswana alone has a human population of 2.3million and that 130k of elephants was last counted in 2018,every year 6000 calves are born,do the math we are in 2024. I hav pics and videos of elephants in and around my farm they come on almost a daily basis. If we had the money or resource to see how we can live in harmony together it would b awesome...but...we just need to meet halfway instead of being emotionally charged and limiting our views. I appreciate you raising your voice on this, it gives us in our lil spaces comfort that there are people who understand out there.

[@toekkababy5329]

1,4 billion villagers in africa, God help the elephant

[@siphiwetraceyjohn-chinga8384]

@@toekkababy5329 I hope u know Africa is a continent,with differing climates,flora and fauna. Animals such as elephants hav an intelligence that confines them to live within their herds and of course they will be drawn to areas where the flora benefits them.

[@ananyab4840]

European countries are richer than poor african or asian countries. Rather than engaging themselves in war they should make a national park conserving animals like elephants , lion ,tiger , leopard deer etc. And later on make a commercial benefits for the same. It will be good for their ecosystem also. In Mediterran region the temperature and the climates are favourable also. So please think for the same to conserve mother nature.

[@problemsolver3254]

i honestly thought that BBC channel may have been hacked when i saw the title.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Give me the elephants.

[@henaimtiyaz4189]

Just because their population is rising does not give them an excuse to allow trophy hunting.

[@mrdenson3101]

They have offered to send them to you. So, why don’t you accept ? Who gives Germany and UK the right to hunt and cull animals but not Botswana, colonial pride and entitlement ?

[@Domi3454]

@@mrdenson3101that’s exactly the point, Europe is not dictating Botswana how they should handle their animals. Neither are they responsible to provide aid or solutions. They mind their own business in making laws of what’s allowed and not allowed to enter their own countries. What Botswana is angry about, is possible loss of income if there would be less European hunters visiting and paying to kill the elephants. They aren’t worried about too many elephants, they can kill them themselves quite fine.

[@petegarnett7731]

Botswana has been one of the best run countries in Africa ever since its independence. (Formerly the Bechuanaland protectorate). They have developed numerous schemes to improve the lot of the citizens from the early days. When you reach a choice between protecting your citizens and protecting the wildlife, it is natural to look after your own species. We did that in most of Europe a long time ago.

[@chrisbennett6260]

@support_people_not_evil take a look t the food industry

[@splatbubble]

@support_people_not_evil I think he may have been supporting your point that the food industry (at least meat and dairy) is pretty horrific.

[@myself3209]

As a german I see that as a win

[@nettcologne9186]

Why Germany? In March, Parliament in London voted to ban the import of hunting trophies, and Botswana responded by wanting to send 10,000 elephants to Britain. Apparently Britain isn't important enough. In Germany only one person spoke about banning hunting trophies and already the whole world is talking about it.

[@IamSisu]

So what did Britain do? Did they accept the offer? Conservation is not all about talk. Britain should accept the offer of 10,000 elephants. They have the money to build a natural park for them and help the conservation effort

[@haven_lady675]

Ok this is the most hilarious threat ever 😂

[@TjZz]

Imagine seeing german soldiers riding elephants to war instead of leopards tanks in the future, 😂

[@edwardvalivonis23]

And holding a gay flag

[@TjZz]

@@edwardvalivonis23 😂🤣😭

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

Erm, Poland better be paying attention, cause next thing you know Germany marching into Poland like Hanibal did to Rome.

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

Can you DHL an elephant?

[@RokeJulianLockhart.s13ouq]

You can try.

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

DHL has weight limit 😂😂😂

[@CornyBum]

No, FedEx is the way to go.

[@Awesomefishingvideo-bb2tf]

What do you think? many would give them a logistical and organisation award if they actually pulled it off

[@simongrenshaw22]

Cersei Lannister would like a word.

[@MrObiorah]

Bring ALL of those beautiful elephants to NIGERIA. Send them to NIGERIA!!! PLEASE!!!

[@hannah7841]

Animals aren’t trophies

[@AAblade7]

I’m pretty sure the threat is bostwana taking the piss.

[@peetvandermerwe7538]

I think it is time that Africa make their own decisions about its resources. The rest of the world must stop telling Africa what to do with their wildlife

[@kenzieki7006]

I know she is trying to keep a straight face😂

[@dynastygal]

He's a shit conservationist if he thinks trophy hunting is not a threat to any species. Hunting will always be a threat to wild animals regardless of why it is done.

[@essexfarmer9610]

With respect I have lived in many southern Africa countries and trophy hunting creates employment and raises funds for conservation. There are strict sustainable limits on the trophy numbers shot so while it might seem initially a bad idea, in fact its a positive feature. This differs from the opinions of many whom have not studied the subject.

[@Acolis]

@@essexfarmer9610 funds can be raised through other means besides selling the animals you are trying to protect for trophies. it would be one thing if they trophies hunted were already sick and dying animals but that is often not the case. its killing for the sake of killing guised as a means of protecting nature when it is really just an outlet for some peoples insatiable lust for blood and death. there is basically no scenario where trophy hunting is not a sick, demented, and downright evil activity.

[@hossiahdikwetla4461]

What do you think is going to happen if elephants keep reproducing without culling them over a long period of time?

[@Acolis]

@@hossiahdikwetla4461 they will no longer be an endangered species, which is a good thing.

[@TangerineCreamsickle]

He is purely a paid activist and his pet cause is promoting trophy hunting. It’s just a job for him just like every other ngo talking head that goes on these shows. vulture lobbyist tasked with protecting hunting revenue. He doesn’t give a shit about the elephant population.

[@tommygunTW1]

elephants are so beautiful

[@helenandterrybondy2383]

That’s not a lot of elephants, why would you want to do trophy hunting, find another hobby, I don’t think you can compare elephants to deer or ducks.

[@mikeanderson7549]

You German?

[@chrismuz]

Our Green environment minister should really know better. This is what happens when you make policy based on emotions rather than facts.

[@Nolpia444]

00:58 The truth that most westerners choose to ignore

[@Anyreck]

Great clarification, Dan.

[@user-ln9sh9io7p]

"Neighbouring countries like Angola"? The BBC should start with a basic geography lesson of the African continent!

[@BrockSamson-i1i]

um, Botswana and Angola share a border at Kazungula .. making them neighbours

[@metalflower9543]

As a German citizen you just have to be ashamed of this government!

[@atomictraveller]

i just get tired of pointing out the obvious masons to all the suckers all the time

[@YUTAB-ck9rp]

Imagine if the situation was the exact opposite. Botswanian hunters coming into Germany as tourists and hunting local endangered wildlife as trophies… Then suddenly the issue seems bigger….😢

[@WorkersofAmericaRise]

isnt that a different scenario

[@Joshua-xf9ev]

They are definitely not endangered in Botswana. They are way overpopulated

[@cosmo9208]

Well a slightly comparable situation took place in 2006: A bear wandered into Germany from Switzerland, and this was the first bear on German soil in 170 years. The German authorities decided to kill the bear because it was "dangerous". But an African elephant is much more dangerous compared to a European brown bear, which is afraid of people. A bear will attack people only if people go close to its babies. Otherwise they run away and hide. Yet the Germans keep the bear extinct in their country.

[@Jan_Iedema]

Weirdest threat I’ve ever seen but okay…

[@matthewbaynham6286]

I think they need to create a new system where elephants hunted legally in a conservation area are given a certificate and then they can be exported. And any elephant remains without a certificate will be illegal.

[@essexfarmer9610]

That's already working just as you suggest.

[@Kell0ee]

Certificates would be faked

[@user-cvbnm]

not the onion 😂😂😂

[@lexruptor]

Just a reminder, Elephants have an incredibly high emotional intelligence, and murdering anything intelligent, especially for such dumb reasons as population control, is morally and ethically unacceptable.

[@chrisbennett6260]

I. sympthasize and agree there no doubt about that thats easy saying if your living in europe

[@garybrockwell2031]

What a laugh??? The Elephant Goose step😂🤣🇬🇧🤫🤔

[@briant5685]

Botswana can redistribute elephants to other African nations

[@zachariahkwada9988]

Ask yourself why those African countries dont have large herds of elephants. 1. Conservation is very expensive 2. Poaching. It has cost Botswana billions of USD over many years. This did not happen by chance. Botswana remains the best rated country on conservation globally. This comes at a huge cost to the country.

[@dolfpotgieter2887]

If Botswana redistribute to other African countries except namibia the Elephants wil get poached and no thank you we have enough in namibia

[@TsaoneKgomo]

They already do and already have. There’s only so much you redistribute hence why they brought back trophy hunting in 2019

[@Lily-ed2sc]

SO they can be poached? Do you guys think they did not think of that? Seriously. Botswana is far better at conservation than any african country. Sending them to other countries which are vulnerable to poaching is not a good idea.

[@briant5685]

@@Lily-ed2sc they can send them to kenya or south africa

[@SupremeSpeciesBeyonders-ff4hk]

How the MC hold there laughs is a physical impossibility. :)