Botswana threatens to send 10,000 elephants to Hyde Park in trophy hunting row

The frustrated wildlife minister of Botswana has threatened to send 10,000 elephants to Hyde Park ‘to have a taste of living alongside them’ as the countries argue over hunting trophies.

Politicians and diplomats from the African country are currently in London to protest a potential ban on UK safari hunters importing trophies from their kills.

The Hunting Trophies Prohibition Bill is due for its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, and officials from Botswana as well as five other southern African nations are in the UK to campaign against it.

Botswanan officials say a ban would negatively impact safari hunt revenue, hamper wildlife conservation, make anti-poaching efforts more difficult, and impoverish African villagers who make their living from such tourism.

Dumezweni Mthimkhulu, Botswana’s wildlife minister, said: ‘I hope if my offer of elephants is accepted by the British government, they will be kept in London’s Hyde Park because everyone goes there.

‘I want Britons to have a taste of living alongside elephants, which are overwhelming my country. In some areas, there are more of these beasts than people.

‘They are killing children who get in their path. They trample and eat farmers’ crops leaving Africans hungry. They steal the water from pipes that is flowing to the people. They have lost their fear of humans.

‘Elephant numbers, just like those of Scottish stags, have to be controlled. Hunters in the Highlands pay to shoot deer and put their antlers on their walls. So why is Britain trying to stop Africa doing the same?

‘Botswana is the most successful country in the world at looking after elephants, buffalo, and lions. We don’t want colonial interference from Britain.’

The current Bill, sponsored by Labour MP John Spellar but supported in the Tory manifesto, is the third time legislation to ban hunting trophy imports has been put forward to Parliament.

MailOnline reported that Mr Spellar refused to meet the southern African delegations of ministers and diplomats in London to fight the Bill – but he told Metro.co.uk this was not the case, saying he agreed to meet with the delegation but it ‘didn’t seem to happen’.

The previous attempt to pass the Bill failed in the House of Lords last year, but Mr Spellar says that following the Cecil the lion case it’s ‘about time we banned the import of these grisly trophies’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.