Elephant Hunting Quotas in Botswana

Botswana's 2019 lifting of its 2014 hunting ban responded to community demands after elephant populations grew to 130,000—the world's largest—causing severe crop damage. The new quota of 287 elephants annually generates over $2 million for rural villages, making this lethal management faster than the average non-lethal deterrents like beehive fences, which only reduce crop raiding by 60%. Global animal-rights groups condemn it as a step backward, but local communities cite direct economic benefits.