20 elephants sent to China are better off in mainland zoos: Zimbabwe wildlife minister

Twenty elephants exported to China would be “better off” in mainland zoos rather than struggling wildlife parks in Zimbabwe, the southern African nation’s minister in charge of wildlife said, dismissing protests from animal rights groups.

“Those elephants have gone to world-class zoos. They will get much better care but, of course, the lobbyists are always keen to ignore facts,” Minister of Environment Saviour Kasukuwere said on Monday.

Zimbabwe’s national parks are overpopulated and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is struggling to raise money for conservation efforts, Kasukuwere said.

“There are ways of dealing with overpopulation such as culling, sell them to countries with proper habitats or do trophies. We have chosen a non-lethal way by exporting them,” said Kasukuwere.

The Zimbabwean government has ignored protests and pleas from dozens of animal rights groups to stop the sale of the elephants, the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s southern Africa office said in a statement.

“Unnecessarily seizing wild elephants for a lifetime in captivity is a violation of conservation principles and shows a blatant disregard for animal welfare,” the statement said.