Namibia will slaughter hundreds of wild animals, such as elephants and hippos, to feed its population.

Namibia plans to slaughter 723 wild animals and distribute their meat to the population. For example, the government of the southern African country wants to help residents who do not have enough food due to severe drought. This was announced by the Ministry of Environment, according to international news agencies on Tuesday. Concretely, about 300 zebras, 100 wildebeest, 100 eland, 83 elephants, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas and 30 hippos will be slaughtered.

These animals, according to the government, live in areas where there is no longer enough water and land available for grazing. At least 157 animals have already been killed and slaughtered. They could have produced 56,800 kilograms of meat. The large-scale hunting operation is “essential” according to the Namibian government. “Our natural resources must be used for the benefit of our citizens.”

Namibia and other southern African countries are experiencing their worst drought in decades. In some parts of Namibia, rain has not fallen for three years. That makes it harder to grow food or raise livestock. Last month, Namibia had exhausted 84 percent of its food reserves for 2024, the United Nations reported. Nearly half the population is expected to face severe food shortages in the coming months.

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