On the 11th August 2021, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) issued a press release stating that it will capture 57 wild African elephants. It had sold them to interested but as yet undisclosed buyers. Of the 57 elephants, 42 are to be exported ‘outside Namibia’.

Investigation conclusion: After a two month field-investigation into Namibia’s overall conservation model, it has been found that these captures and exports are likely to endanger some of Namibia’s isolated elephant populations, in particular, the uniquely desert-adapted elephants from the arid Kunene Region in the northwest of the country. Also, despite claims by the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the income generated from these sales is unlikely to benefit local communities, and will most-likely violate Namibia’s international wildlife trade obligations under its agreement with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The published report can be found here.

PUBLISHED ARTICLES:
https://www.africanelephantjournal.com/eu-backtracks-once-again-it-supports-the-export-of-baby-elephants-out-of-africa%EF%BF%BC/

https://www.newarab.com/analysis/revealed-namibian-elephants-illegally-sold-emirati-zoos

https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/export-of-elephants-to-uae-drags-namibia-wildlife-policy-into-the-spotlight/

https://www.africanelephantjournal.com/namibia-admits-to-questionable-export-of-elephants-overseas/

https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2021/09/29/wildlife-trade-body-accused-of-rubber-stamping-scandalous-sale-of-at-risk-elephants/