POLITICO
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany as the countries argue over the import of hunting trophies.
“No joke,” he told the German tabloid BILD on Tuesday.
Masisi attacked the German federal government, and the environment ministry in particular, led by Green minister Steffi Lemke, for seeking to ban the import of trophies despite Botswana’s overpopulation of elephants.
“It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana. We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world,” he said.
Botswana, home to about 130,000 elephants according to the president, has sent 8,000 to Angola already. “We would also like to make such an offer to the Federal Republic of Germany,” announced Masisi. “We won’t take no for an answer.”
“We want our elephants to roam freely. The German weather is bad enough for them,” he added. “If you like them so much, then please accept this gift from us.”
Officials from the southern African country already protested a potential U.K. ban on safari hunters importing trophies, warning in March they would send 10,000 elephants to Hyde Park in London.
