Namibia: Elephant Auction Underway

A combination of drought, an increase in elephant numbers, and conflicts with humans has forced the Namibian government to auction off 170 highly-valued wild elephants.

Per reports, an advertisement detailing the sale of these large mammals was placed in a state-owned newspaper on Wednesday, 2 December, by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

Local or international buyers who wish to purchase these elephants must meet the following criteria: they must have quarantine facilities and a game-proof fence certificate for the property where the animals will be kept.

Specifically in the case of international buyers, they must produce a permit – signed off by conservation authorities in their countries – that will allow them to export the elephants.

Buyers have until 29 January 2021 to tender their offers to the ministry.

This auction comes a year after the Namibian government authorised the sale of 1 000 wild animals – including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and impala – that were at risk of dying from starvation amid nationwide drought.