Namibia auctions elephants

Namibia’s ministry of environment, forestry and tourism is projected to earn N$5.9 million from the auctioning of elephants.

 The southern African country offered 170 elephants in December 2021 through a tender that closed last month.

The auction was convened to reduce the number of elephants in certain areas due to human-elephant conflicts. 

Informante reports that N$4.4 million had already been paid to the Game Product Trust Fund.

Tourism ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda was quoted as saying that 57 elephants were successfully sold at the auction last year.

Muyunda said 37 elephants had already been captured of which 15 will remain in Namibia while 22 would be exported to a country yet to be revealed.

“The 15 elephants that remain in Namibia were captured from the Omatjete area, and already supplied to Naankuse as a successful bidder,” he said.

“The 22 elephants meant for one of the export destinations were captured and supplied to G.H. Odendaal as the successful bidder.”

Muyunda said the remaining 20 elephants are yet to be captured pending the issuance of CITES permits from the country where the
elephants will be exported to.