Botswana stay tough

[Pheroze]

Perhaps someone has a better version of this letter. But, it's great. Nice to see the affected countries taking a stand.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9rVLWVp9gi/?igshid=p71gc218qj2b

 

[Lmcquin]

Great letter. Amazing how governments 1000s of mikes away try and tell other countries what they should be doing.

My grandmother always said cleanoff your own back porch first before telling a neighbor anything about theirs.

 

[flatwater bill]

During my visit to Botswana and Zim last year, I had UK citizen actually yelling at me about the evils of hunting.........We were, at the time, at a bbq in Hwange National Park hosted by Rovos Rail. As he loaded up on a second helping of kabobs, he told me, and the park staff, how to manage elephant. Until the park ranger told him that there were 45000 elephant in the park, and the carrying capacity was about 15000. What will happen? I asked. They will starve, and take many species with them....he said....That pretty well stopped the discussion......damn the torpedoes...stay tough, Botswana......FWB

 

[Newboomer]

Shoulda told him he was eating wild game. That would shut him up.

 

[flatwater bill]

NewBoomer.......I think that in general they are too dumb to reason with.....FW Bill

 

[CAustin]

Hope they do

 

[Dee S]

Shoulda told him he was eating wild game. That would shut him up.

I was waiting for that too, "Oh, by the way, hows the elephant kabob?"

 

[Newboomer]

NewBoomer.......I think that in general they are too dumb to reason with.....FW Bill

Yeah, you can't reason with the unreasonable.

 

[edward]

I was waiting for that too, "Oh, by the way, hows the elephant kabobs ?

 

[edward]

elephant kabobs are great,in 2011 in zim when we retrieved my elephant, the game scout and a tracker cooked elephant kabobs fore us over an open fire on thin branches from a bush with onions and salt and pepper,GREAT,the meat was cut from the cheek area,tender and juicy,DELICIOUS.only thing missing was a great south african red,we had that later.

elephant kabobs,great!!!

• edward
• Feb 18, 2012

 

[Pondoro]

Ele meat makes a great stew too..

 

[Dee S]

I'd love to try some elephant meat.
I was fortunate enough on my list trip over to Namibia to get to eat some Hartmann's Mt Zebra. It was delicious and something that I had been wanting to try.

 

[Fred Gunner]

Botswana Kills Five Suspected Poachers in Effort to Save Rhinos

Emphasis on "Suspected Poachers?"

Botswana has seen an unprecedented rise in rhinoceros poaching in the last 12 months. The government reports nearly 50 of the animals have been killed in the last 10 months, about one-tenth of the country’s rhino population.

Officials say at this rate, the black rhino population, which numbers just a few dozen, could be wiped out by the end of next year.

But Botswana’s security forces are taking the fight to the poachers. This week, five suspected poachers were killed in two incidents.

On Monday, one poaching suspect was gunned down in a confrontation with local soldiers. Four more suspected poachers were killed two days later, in the thickets of the Okavango Delta, home to most of the country’s rhinos.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi has warned his government will fight the poachers, most of whom come in from neighboring Namibia and Zambia.

“There are serious problems of poaching. Poachers do not bear a spear or a knobkerrie, or a knife, like some of those who break into households,” Masisi said. “Poachers bear sophisticated arms, and poachers are sufficiently radicalized to kill. So they are dangerous. We put an army in place to defend this country, so any intruder is an enemy. And unfortunately, as with any war, there are casualties.”

"Obviously the taking of any life is not to be condoned. One has to try not to do that,” Fitt said. “However, as I think we all know, in the last year or so, the poaching incidents in Botswana have increased dramatically. We have lost a lot of rhinos, and I am not too sure how many elephants we have lost. The fact that the BDF [army] are upping their game plan, I think, is a very good thing.”

Fitt warned poachers would try to take advantage of the reduction in tourism caused by outbreak of the new coronavirus.

“We must also remember this time, with the pandemic that we actually have, the tourism operations in the whole area has down scaled, which I believe the poachers will be trying to take advantage of,” Fitt said. “So there will be an upsurge of poaching activity."

Botswana’s government denies the upsurge is due to a decision to disarm an anti-poaching unit last year.

https://www.voanews.com/africa/botswana-kills-five-suspected-poachers-effort-save-rhinos