As many as 170 “high value” wild elephants have been put up for sale by the Namibian ministry of environment, forestry and tourism.
An advertisement in a state-owned daily stated that a rise in incidents of conflict between human beings and elephants was the reason behind the ministry’s decision, The Guardian reported.
According to the ad, the animals will be auctioned to anyone within the southern African country or abroad who meets the strict criteria, which include quarantine facilities and a game-proof fence certificate for the property where the elephants will be kept.
Any potential foreign buyer will also have to provide proof that authorities in their country will permit them to export elephants to that country.
Namibia and other African nations have been seeking to strike a balance between protecting high-value species like elephants and rhinos and limiting the danger when they encroach on areas of human habitation.
Namibia have done well in conserving the mammal, with its elephant population jumping from 7,500 in 1995 to 24,000 in 2019.
But last year, the Namibia government said it was considering withdrawing from the rules that govern the global trade in endangered species so that it could export live animals and raise funds to protect the species.
