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Botswana Auctions Elephant Hunting Rights

Mqondisi Dube

   GABORONE, BOTSWANA - Botswana held its first auction Friday for
   elephant hunting rights since lifting a five-year hunting ban last May.

   The move was prompted by the country's elephant population which, at
   130,000, is the world's largest.

   Officials held an auction for seven hunting "packages." Each package
   entitles the buyer to hunt and kill 10 elephants during the 2020
   hunting season, from April to September.

   A company known as Auction It, which operated the sale on behalf of the
   government, said the auction Friday had "gone well," as six of the
   seven packages were sold. Reporters were not allowed to watch, but the
   auctioneer told VOA the event brought in a total of $250,000.

   Local professional hunter Randy Motsumi welcomed the auction, saying
   hunters were left "jobless" after the 2014 decision to ban trophy
   hunting.
   

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