Sunday, June 9, 2019

Elephants in Botswana


The Post's long form reporting continues to be exceptional.

I love the range of topics and issues that the newspaper is exploring. I have mixed feelings about Jeff Bezos and his impact on the American economy, but there's no doubting that his ownership of the Washington Post -- and his willingness to pay for good reporting and deep stories -- has been a huge plus.

Today there's an article (here) about elephants in Botswana. I had to remind myself of the country's location, which is shown on the map below. The population of Botswana is approximately 2 million.


About one-third of Africa's elephants live in Botswana, and the number of elephants has increased dramatically: from 80,000 in 1996 to 130,000 in 2014. The reason is that the government committed to strict anti-poaching policies, with a goal of building a thriving eco-tourism industry.

The policies succeeded, and now there is a backlash among black Botswanans. They claim that the elephants (and accompanying tourism) are benefiting whites but harming them. In particular, the animals wreak havoc on the crops and land of small-scale black farmers.

I just did a bit of research about elephant poaching at the World Wildlife Fund website. The tusks are the most sought after part of the elephants, with the ivory being used for ornaments and jewelry (it's especially popular in China).

Botswana's new president is Mokgweetsi Masisi. He was appointed last year and stands for election this fall. This is the fascinating part of the Post's article: Masisi argues that Botswana needs to re-balance its approach towards elephants. He believes that they are “far more elephants than Botswana’s fragile environment, already stressed by drought and other effects of climate change, can safely accommodate." In addition, Masisi views the elephants through the lens of race, and he wants to ensure that the economic benefits of tourism are shared more broadly.

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This is a fascinating article. Wildlife conservation is generally seen as an unqualified good, but the article is a reminder that even the most well-meaning policies can harm some people while helping others.

This is an aerial view of Chobe Enclave in Botswana.

This is a woman whose husband was killed by an elephant in 2014.