Botswana’s 60th Independence Day celebrations have been overshadowed by a decision to hunt 23 elephants for meat, drawing criticism from conservation campaigners and sparking fresh debate over how the country manages its huge wildlife population.
The elephants are among animals covered by a hunting licence issued by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, which allows their killing for “complimentary purposes”. Their meat is expected to be shared with communities and used during traditional feasts held as part of the celebrations marking six decades since Botswana gained independence from Britain.
The country, which has more than 130,000 elephants, began nationwide events on Wednesday, with celebrations including cultural shows, concerts, sporting activities and a carnival in the capital, Gaborone.
But the decision to include elephants in the meat allocation has attracted strong criticism from animal rights campaigners, who fear it could affect conservation efforts and send a message that killing the animals is acceptable when authorised by the state.
Oaitse Nawa, chairman of the Botswana-based Elephant Protection Society, told the BBC that elephants require greater protection. He also warned that government-approved hunts could make it easier for poachers to justify killing the animals.
"Elephants have lost their social structures because they are always being pushed from one place to another by gunshots," Nawa said.
The 23 elephants were distributed among eight districts for hunting. By Wednesday morning, however, it was still unclear how many had been killed.
Images carried by local media showed people gathered around elephant carcasses in several parts of Botswana, with some using knives to cut the animals and share the meat.
The process has also raised concerns over how the meat is being handled and distributed.
In Chobe, a wildlife-rich district in northern Botswana near Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, MP Simasiku Mapulanga questioned the decision to allow residents to collect meat directly from an elephant carcass at a school.
Mapulanga said the arrangement could result in overcrowding while making access difficult for elderly residents, pregnant women and people living with disabilities.
He proposed that the meat should instead be prepared and packed into 5kg or 10kg portions to improve hygiene and ensure a more orderly and equal distribution.
"For the sake of dignity, fairness and public hygiene, we respectfully call on the hunter and the relevant leadership to ensure that future distributions are properly organised," Mapulanga posted on Facebook, alongside photographs of residents gathered around the carcass.
Concerns have also been raised over the safety of consuming game meat at a time when Botswana is dealing with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Authorities have introduced measures to contain the disease, while some social media users have questioned the decision to distribute the meat during the outbreak.
In Maun, a tourism centre in north-western Botswana, elder Tshenatshe Monwela told local media that his community would have preferred to receive buffalo meat.
Monwela said elephants hold an important place in Botswana’s culture and environment. He argued that the country's long record of protecting wildlife and livestock should have been taken into account when deciding which animals would provide meat for the anniversary celebrations.
Although elephant meat is eaten in some communities located in wildlife-rich areas, particularly when it comes from legally authorised hunts, it is not a common everyday food.
Botswana has strict regulations covering game meat, and people generally need to show that meat in their possession originated from a lawful hunt.
The controversy has once again brought Botswana’s elephant management policy into focus.
Communities living close to elephant habitats have for years reported problems caused by the animals, including crop destruction, damage to property and attacks that have sometimes resulted in deaths.
The government has defended regulated hunting, saying it provides a way of managing the elephant population and reducing conflict between people and wildlife. It also says hunting generates money that can benefit conservation and communities living in areas with large elephant populations.
Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014 during the presidency of Ian Khama. The ban was reversed five years later by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Hunting has remained in place under President Duma Boko, who defeated Masisi in the 2024 election.
The government says revenue from hunting is directed towards conservation and local development.
Environment and Tourism Minister Wynter Mmolotsi told parliament last year that special elephant quotas generated 15.6 million pula ($1.1 million; £820,000) in 2025 for projects in areas inhabited by elephants.
Conservation groups have, however, questioned whether the scale of hunting can continue without threatening efforts to protect the species.
Those backing Botswana’s approach say international criticism does not fully reflect the difficulties faced by rural communities that live alongside large elephant populations.
They argue that elephants can destroy crops and infrastructure and pose a threat to residents, particularly where wildlife movements increasingly bring the animals into contact with farms and settlements.
The Botswana government had not immediately commented on the concerns surrounding the 23-elephant allocation. The BBC said it had contacted the government for a response.
It also remained unclear how many of the authorised elephants had been killed by Wednesday morning as the country continued its 60th Independence Day celebrations.