Recent reports from nonprofit Elephants Without Borders, contracted by the Botswana government to conduct an aerial survey of elephants and wildlife, show a startling jump in elephant poaching. In the course of the survey, which only began in July, they’ve already found nearly 90 elephant carcasses, many of which are believed to be poached.
“Today we counted 48 elephant carcasses,” Elephants Without Borders founder and elephant biologist, Dr. Michael Chase, wrote in a report for Conservation Trust on August 3rd, adding that five of the carcasses were killed recently.
“All carcasses [are] presumed to be poached, because all of them had their skulls chopped to remove their tusks,” he said. “Poachers tried to hide their crimes by concealing the mounds of rotting flesh with drying bushes. Certainly, we flew over one of Africa’s worst poaching hotspots today.”
Rise in Elephant Deaths in Usually Stable Botswana
For Dr. Chase, who played a major role as the primary researcher in the massive Great Elephant Census in 2015, seeing so many dead elephants in Botswana was striking.
He said that he had “not seen so many dead elephants anywhere else in Africa. The varying classification and age of carcasses is indicative of a poaching frenzy which has been ongoing in the same area for a long time.”
In total, 87 carcasses have been found so far around the Okavango Delta wildlife sanctuary. The aerial survey should be completed by September 30th and may uncover even more incidents of poaching.
Botswana Disputes Claim of Nearly 90 Elephant Deaths
The story was quickly picked up by major media outlets like the BBC and The Guardian, drawing international attention.
In response to the reports, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Thato Y. Raphaka, issued a statement on behalf of Botswana saying that “At no point in the last months or recently were 87 or 90 elephants killed in one incident in any place in Botswana.”
According to the government’s statement, only 53 elephant carcasses have been found.
“The majority were not poached but rather died from natural causes and retaliatory killings as a result of human and wildlife conflicts,” Raphaka argued.
Witness Accounts Attribute Many Elephant Carcasses to Poaching
Dr. Chase would likely disagree with the government’s account.
“We have exhausted our resources on helicopter time, so to anyone who doesn’t believe in the scale of elephant poaching the survey team is reporting, they can pay for the helicopter charter and I’ll fly with them to the carcasses, so they can wake-up, come down from their ivory tower, smell the carcass and see what we are bearing witness to…faceless rotting elephants!” He exclaimed.
Botswana Slackens Anti-poaching Policies
These elephant deaths come just as Botswana has begun to reduce efforts that have, in the past, discouraged poaching and prevented hunting.
Botswana’s anti-poaching units can’t use weapons
In 2013, Botswana began a “shoot-to-kill” policy to deter poaching. With fewer poaching incidents compared to neighboring countries, several academics argued that not only was this an effective policy, but one South Africa should adopt. However, in May of this year, Botswana did away with this policy and disarmed the anti-poaching units altogether.
“I find it very difficult that any government would send its citizens out to the front lines to fight highly organized criminal networks who are armed to the teeth without weapons,” Chase told National Geographic. “This is the largest elephant range left on the planet.”
As of 2015, there were around 130,451 elephants in Botswana, more than in any other country in Africa. For a long time, Botswana was thought to be a stable region for elephants, partly because of these government protections.
Botswana is about to allow elephant trophy hunting
Not only have anti-poaching units been disarmed, the government is also in the process of lifting a hunting ban on elephants, which would open the region to trophy hunting.
Although the government argues that lifting the ban would benefit tourism and reduce human and elephant conflicts, Dr. Chase disagrees.
Instead, he argues that although elephant populations have been generally stable in Botswana for the past 15 years, it is human population growth that is leading to more conflicts as well as elephants expanding their ranges.
Hunting elephants will not solve any conflicts between elephants and humans, Dr. Chase argues. What’s more, trophy hunting does not actually bring many benefits to local communities, or high economic returns. It also harms conservation efforts, by promoting killing endangered species and increasing the number that die each year.
To help stop the plan to reinstate trophy hunting of elephants in Botswana, sign LFT’s petition here.
Trophy-hunting is never a good solution
Instead of hunting elephants, Dr. Chase has a better solution. He advocates for “education and awareness around elephants, recognizing elephant migration corridors, rapid response to conflicts, the allocation of agricultural plots in appropriate areas and the further promotion of localized ecotourism businesses.”
Botswana has been a stable place for elephants for the last 15 years, but these recent decisions are a major lapse in their historically strong anti-poaching and protectionist policies.
“In the end, it is important to recognize that humans are a root cause of many of these issues, and that focusing on elephants as a threat or as an economic nuisance is largely counterproductive. To solve these problems, the central focus needs to be human behavior,” Dr. Chase said.
SIGN: Stop Cruel Plan to Allow Elephant Trophy Hunting in Botswana

Who’s in charge in Botswana TODAY to allow such heinous crimes against Elephants — clearly, they do NOT value life, nor do they respect the lives of animals, whether they be Elephants, Rhinos, etc. — it’s despicable — clearly there are no standards — something MUST BE DONE to BAN, to STOP these brutal murders against our majestic animals — change in regime, maybe? — make it INTERNATIONAL LAW, if that’s possible? — the market for poached products MUST end — this is a depraved, sadistic Govt in Botswana to allow such atrocities.
Trophy hunting of all kinds need to be banned. That type of hunting is causing the evolution of all species who are hunted as trophies. By culling the animals with biggest or best for the trophy they have taken out that gene pool and its genetics are lost forever. We are left only the smallest or weakest available for breeding thereby evolving a species. Science is not fiction! Btw..anyone know where the Trumps were when this happened? Js.
Prince Harry & Meghan, where the hell are you in all this? Why aren’t you speaking out against this carnage?
No hunting of elephants it must stop.No excuses
Cruelty needs to STOP!
Disgusting and disgraceful murder of Elephants
Poachers should be shot on sight
Oh please! I’m fed up with these murders! If Governments would REALLY want to stop these crimes, than it would stop NOW. They’re selfish bastards that are probably paid off. I’m done with them. Not with fighting for the lives of other sentient beings!
Poachers and trophy hunters need to be annihilated! Every little life is big to the one living it! No one has the right to take the life of any animal! These animals will all be gone one day and it is all the fault of the greedy humans! Easy to hate peoplelike this!
One day there will be no more elephant, this really disturbing when I see people killing them for fun.What makes him think he looks good by killing a poor an like this beautiful elephant? They have a right to life too, I hate them for doing this. Please stop this killing of these defenseless animals!!!!!
Trophy hunters concentrate, not on the younger animals, but on the older bulls carrying the biggest tusks. These bulls, however, are the patriarchs, the ones females prefer to mate with and the leaders of the male cohorts. Shooting these animals for sport destroys the social structure of the population as well as removing their genes for large tusks from the gene pool. The end result is massive disruption of the population and, in time, a steady decrease in tusk size amongst surviving bulls. The days of the Big Tuskers, so beloved of tourists, will then be over for ever.
This new Government has done a huge disservice to elephants and to precious wildlife.
This is so sad ! Please help save the elephants ! We humans should be taking care and protecting all animals and their environment.
“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission — to be of service to them whenever they require it.” — St. Francis of Assisi.
“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission — to be of service to them whenever they require it.” — St. Francis of Assisi.
“Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good (hu)man.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher
Botswana needs to have sanctions against them by the US now. Do not delay. Lets put high bounties on the hands of the poachers, and allow them to be shot on site.
DISGUSTING PITIFUL HORRIFIC MORONS.
LEAVE THE ANIMALS ALONE!!!!
JAGOFF MORON HUMANS.
Stop the cruel slaughtering of these beautiful animals! It is SO immensely horrific and these killers should be severely punished!
Botswana is a very bad place.
They have been doing this for yesrs.
The only way they will stop is to wipe the elephants out
Very Sad country.
This old man thinks his life is more valuable then the elephant? Very sad. God bless all wildlife/elephants. May they stop all poachers and may poachers do something else to make money.
Disgraceful. Give them the electric chair.
Botswana has taken a step backwards. Bloody government kowtowing to poachers shoot ’em all just shoot ’em all.
I’m so sad! These gorgeous animals deserve to be protected! Please please stop this craziness for the sake of these gentle giants! They so deserve to live happy without fear!
I have no words to describe how I feel. I want to explode with anger.
Abominable! Horrilepoachers, these people need to be caught, thrown in jail with NO KEY!
WHY oh WHY do [email protected]%&+d up sub humans think that they have the bloody right to kill for fun or money. When Ellies & Rhinos have gone, they’ve gone !!!! Then what, oh we know, everything else that runs, plays, breeds, in actual fact breaths. Maybe these killing morons would look better on the wall, or their teeth extracted preferably whilst they’re alive & can feel the pain & then shoot them. KARMA idiots !!!!!!!!!
AND NO WORD FROM PRINCE HARRY WHO CLAIMS BOTSWANA AS HIS 2ND HOME SINCE CHILDHOOD…WHOSE BRIDE MEGHAN SPORTS A BOTSWANAN SPARKLER! WHILE PRINCE HARRY EENY-MEENY-MINEY-MO’S OVER WHICH “COTTAGE” TO OCCUPY, THESE PRECIOUS ELEPHANTS ARE BEING SLAUGHTERED BY IVORY-HUNGRY BLACK MARKET POACHERS…WHO ARE THEMSELVES PROTECTED BY A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT DISALLOWING ARMED POACHER HUNTERS! BEYOND THE PALE PATHETIC DISGRACEFUL INHUMANE GREEDY MURDER! SAVE SAVE SAVE THE ELEPHANTS! “I MEANT WHAT I SAID AND I SAID WHAT I MEANT…AN ELEPHANT’S FAITHFUL ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!”…DR. SEUSS’ HORTON HATCHES THE EGG…A CHILDHOOD READ AND A CONCEPT BY WHICH I GREW TO LIVE! EMPATHY FOR ELEPHANTS!!!
I agree completely.
AND THE NEW PRESIDENT OF BOTSWANA…OVER THE PUBLIC OUTRAGE…IS CALLING THIS NOTHING MORE THAN MASS HYSTERIA! TELL THAT TO THE ELEPHANTS THAT BECOME HYSTERICAL…THEY KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! END EGOMANIACAL PSYCHOPATHIC MURDERERS…TROPHY HUNTERS AND POACHERS!!! SHOOT TO KILL…THEM!!! SHOOT ELEPHANTS WITH A LENS!!!
Well Said! We live in a world full of phoneys!
Botswana is moving backward, and lying about what is going on is unhelpful in all directions. Please do not allow elephant hunting! This will severely backfire for Botswana.
May wisdom and compassion prevail.
This is the most misguided decision ever. Animals were not created to be slaughtered for trophies and awards. This is a huge backward step being adopted by the Government of Botswana. Tourism will suffer a major decline and persons will boycott this country. It is my hope that Prince Harry will take affirmative steps to halt the tidal wave of cruelty now enveloping Botswana’s precious wildlife.
Botswana, by their policies, has been degraded to a cruel bastardized nation..Stop the slaughter of elephants!
One elephant is worth all of the poachers and trophy hunters in the world.
No animal was put here to be a trophy for anyone. I hope they catch the ones responsible for killing the elephants or any animal and prosecute them to the point of extreme severity.
These elephants are worth more than the useless human lives of poachers and criminal gangs involved in this sick illegal criminal industry. Kill them all, useless garbage, that’s all they understand, they don’t understand anything else.
I am so sick of this elephant poaching. They should exterminate the people that cause a market for this with their ignorant thought that ivory has this magical power, etc. They are nothing but scum. Also I believe there is corruption in some of these nations’ governments and they look the other way.
Please Lord, save our elephants!
Please do not kill wild animals, eventually we will see only pictures on walls when animals run out and no more wild animals left
Be kind and let them enjoy life. Don’t be evil
Ban this revolting carnage!! Give NO LICENCES FOR HUNTING!!
Shoot the bloody cowardly sadistic bastard poachers and hunters before they can kill more valuable, vulnerable, sentient beings than they are.
Sorry this wasn’t a peaceful family friendly comment, but the actions to be condemned aren’t exam try peaceful or family friendly to elephant families.
And I am unbearably enraged by this travesty.
Leave the elephants alone for God sakes
Leave the elephants alone for God sakes