America News Agency

Earlier this year, the German Environment Ministry raised the possibility of stricter restrictions on the import of various memorial parts of hunted wild animals due to poaching concerns.

However, speaking to German newspaper Bild, Mokgweetsi Masisi said the ban on the import of hunting memorabilia would only impoverish Botswanans.

The African leader argued that conservation efforts have led to an explosion in elephant numbers and that hunting is an important way to keep elephants under control. Botswana banned trophie hunting in 2014, but lifted the restrictions in 2019 due to pressure from local communities. Botswana now publishes annual catch quotas.

“It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our issues in Botswana,” Masisi told the German newspaper, saying elephant herds were damaging property, eating crops and trampling residents. We pay the price to protect these animals for the world. Germans should live with animals 'as you are trying to tell us'.” said.

Stating that the elephant population in his country has increased to approximately 130,000, Masisi said, "This is not a joke."

Botswana, home to the world's largest elephant population, has offered 8,000 elephants to Angola and 500 to Mozambique to combat what Masisi described as "overpopulation". In March, authorities also threatened London with sending 10,000 elephants.

"We want to give such a gift to Germany," Masisi said, adding that he would not accept "no" for an answer.