Botswana on Friday took a swipe at the Western media over what it described as sensational reportage about the alleged plight of elephants while ignoring the impact of the animals on rural communities in the southern African country.
In a statement ahead of an elephant summit to be held in the tourism town of Kasani in the north of the country, the Botswana government said any of its efforts to manage elephant population is being subjected to negative publicity by the Western press.
It said ivory stocks held by several southern African countries whose populations are on Appendix II have continued to grow at an exponential rate.
“This has placed an undue burden on such countries to secure this valuable resource. Any efforts by southern African elephant range states to manage their populations is subjected to constant media glare with much of this coverage ignoring the plight of rural communities who bear the brunt of living with elephants,” read the statement in part.
Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled.
KO/jn/APA