Namibia's decision to cull more than 700 wild animals, including elephants, as part of its drought management strategy has sparked international attention, with many conservationists questioning its ethics and necessity.
Namibia has reported 17 cases of wildlife crimes and 34 arrests during Operation Saving African Wildlife through Multilateral Assistance (SAMA), which was conducted between January and February.
Officials of the Bamunu Conservancy in the Zambezi Region fear residents of Muketela village in the Linyanti constituency will not have a good harvest as wildlife continues to destroy their crops.
Namibia will support the proposal seeking to allow the trade of raw ivory from elephant populations at this year's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wildlife, Fauna, and Flora in Panama.
Southern African countries are home to more than 200 thousand elephants.
The recent increase in wildlife crimes in the country remains a concern to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.
A total of 55 rhinos have been poached between January and August this year, an increase of 11 cases compared to last year.
