Botswana authorities on Thursday said they have been inundated with inquiries from the international community seeking clarification about bogus online advertisements relating to elephant hunting.
Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism spokesperson Alice Mogwe advised members of the public to be cautious about online advertisements, which purport to be marketing elephant hunting in Botswana.
“These adverts make reference to opportunities for foreign hunters to hunt ‘non-exportable’ elephants in Botswana. Under no circumstances will non-citizens be allowed to hunt elephants on quota for citizens,” Mogwe said.
She said a Department of Wildlife and National Parks officer would escort each elephant hunter and that the hunters would be required to produce valid identity documentations prior to embarking on the hunt.
“Furthermore, the public is reminded that elephant (hunting) licenses are non-transferable. The public is cautioned to remain vigilant for any abuse with regard to hunting licenses and to report any suspicious activity to the nearest wildlife office,” she said.
Botswana announced early this year that it has opened citizen controlled hunting season following its decision to lift the contentious 2014 hunting ban.
The Botswana government has declared the period from September 3 this year to the end of January 2020 as hunting season.
Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Minister Kitso Mokaila recently announced that the government had put in place guidelines to be followed during the period, with the procedure being that interested hunters should be registered at wildlife offices across the country.
Mokaila explained that those who would be given an opportunity for hunting would be selected through the process of raffle.
KO/jn/APA