PF Government Revives Controversial Plan to Cull 2,000 Hippos

The government have decided to revive their plans to cull 2,000 hippos, which was put on hold due to global backlash.

Tourism Minister Charles Banda has said that the hippo population cannot be supported by the Luangwa river water levels and moving them elsewhere is too costly.

“The South Luangwa National Park has a population of more than 13,000 hippos but the area is only ideal for 5,000 hippos,” Banda said, adding that the ecosystem would be threatened.

This policy has long be protested by the Born Free charity who this Monday released a statement outlning that there is no robust scientific evidence that there is in fact over population of hippos in the river. Instead, they have argued that the government is using environment factors to excuse an increase in trophy hunting permits.

The Charity also noted that culling historically has the opposite of the desired effect:

“Scientific evidence suggests that culling hippos stimulates breeding and ends up increasing the population, potentially establishing a vicious cycle of death and destruction,” it said.

Back in 2016 Born Free had the scientific rationale for killing up to 2,000 hippos when their population in the entire southern Africa stood at 80,000 hippos was questionable.