Botswana With 130,000 Elephants Says Transfers Stall
BOTSWANA · WILDLIFE
Key Facts
- —The country Southern African nation with over 130,000 elephants, by government estimates.
- —What happened Minister says elephant transfers abroad are stalled by transport costs.
- —Who said it Environment and Tourism Minister Wynter Mmolotsi, published Friday, 9 October.
- —Latest setback Mozambique backed out after learning it must pay transport.
- —Old pledge Botswana promised Mozambique 500 elephants in 2018.
- —Still open No new recipient, timetable or budget for transfers was named.
Botswana has more elephants than it can handle, but neighbours will not pay to take them.
Botswana elephant transfers to other African countries have stalled because no recipient will pay to move the animals, the environment minister said. Mozambique is the latest country to back out, Wynter Mmolotsi told The Botswana Gazette in a report published on Friday, 9 October.
The setback matters beyond Southern Africa because Botswana holds one of the largest wild elephant populations on Earth. Its policy choices shape global debates on hunting, conservation and safari tourism.
What the Minister Said
Mmolotsi heads the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in the government of President Duma Boko.
According to the minister, several countries have shown interest in receiving elephants from Botswana. The deals stall once those countries see the cost and logistics of moving such large animals.
Mmolotsi said the migration processes “have been frustrated by the transportation costs.” Recipient countries “are not prepared to bear the insurmountable costs of transporting the elephants,” he told the Gazette, a Gaborone weekly.
He said Mozambique had recently asked for elephants but withdrew once it learnt the bill was its own. “When they learnt that they would have to transport the elephants themselves, they backtracked,” the minister said.
A Long Line of Unfulfilled Pledges
The problem is not new. Botswana pledged 500 elephants to Mozambique in 2018, according to the government’s Daily News.
Former President Mokgweetsi Masisi repeated that pledge in 2022, during a state visit by Mozambique’s then President Filipe Nyusi. The Daily News said at the time that the work would start once all logistics were in place.
Botswana has also pledged thousands of elephants to Angola, the Gazette reported. Mozambique has also featured among the countries identified as possible recipients.
In February, President Boko himself said that moving elephants to Mozambique had proved too expensive. He suggested natural migration corridors as an alternative, the Gazette recalled.
Why Moving Elephants Is So Hard
An adult African elephant can weigh several tonnes, as much as two or three large pickup trucks. Each move needs capture teams, sedation, vets, heavy trucks and secure release sites.
That makes large transfers very costly. Even a few hundred animals can take months of planning across borders.
The Daily News noted in 2022 that translocation is preferred over culling. It added that the process carries large budget and staffing demands.
Too Many Elephants for Rural Communities
Government estimates put the national herd at more than 130,000 African savannah elephants. The Daily News has described this as nearly half of Africa’s elephants.
For conservationists, that number is a success story. For farmers in the north, it means crops raided, fences flattened and water pipes broken.
Elephants occasionally injure or kill people, the Gazette noted. Communities living in wildlife areas carry much of the cost.
Mmolotsi told Parliament this year that the government was using several tools. They include wildlife corridors, translocation, compensation and hunting quotas.
Botswana also belongs to the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, known as KAZA. It is a five-country partnership meant to let wildlife move across shared borders.
What It Means for US Readers
The United States lists the African elephant as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Imports of elephant hunting trophies need permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
If transfers fail, pressure grows on Botswana to rely more on hunting quotas. That would feed straight into recurring arguments in Washington over trophy imports from Africa.
For American travellers, northern Botswana remains one of Africa’s top safari regions. The Chobe and Okavango areas draw visitors largely because of their dense elephant herds.
Nothing in the minister’s comments changes travel, visas or park access. The story is about long-term wildlife policy, not about safety for visitors.
What Is Not Known
The minister did not say when Mozambique made or dropped its latest request. He also gave no cost estimate for moving a single elephant.
It is unclear whether any elephants from the 2018 pledge ever reached Mozambique. The status of the Angola pledge is also not public.
No official statement from Mozambique’s government on the withdrawal could be found. The Botswana government has not published a new elephant management plan.
What Comes Next
The government’s focus is shifting to migration corridors that let elephants spread naturally into neighbouring countries. That approach depends on cooperation within KAZA and on land-use decisions across five borders.
The setback does not mean a cull is planned. No such decision has been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Botswana want to give away elephants?
Its herd of more than 130,000 elephants causes heavy crop damage and conflict with rural communities. Moving some animals abroad would ease that pressure.
Why did Mozambique back out?
Minister Wynter Mmolotsi said Mozambique withdrew once it learnt it would have to pay to transport the elephants. Mozambique has not commented publicly.
Is Botswana planning to cull elephants?
No cull has been announced. The government says it is focusing on migration corridors, compensation and hunting quotas.
Does this affect safari trips to Botswana?
No. The minister’s comments concern long-term wildlife policy and do not change travel rules or park access.
What is KAZA?
The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area is a five-country conservation partnership that includes Botswana. It aims to let wildlife move freely across shared borders.
Sources: The Botswana Gazette, “Botswana’s Regional Elephant Deals Falter” (9 October 2026); Daily News (Government of Botswana), Mozambique elephant translocation; News24, “Botswana to translocate 500 elephants to Mozambique” (14 April 2022) (all accessed 10 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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