Botswana reviews elephant hunting ban

Botswana launched a review last week of a 2014 hunting ban imposed to reverse a decline in elephants and other wildlife. A TimesLIVE report notes that the prohibition on big game sports hunting was the work of former President Ian Khama to shield species decimated by hunting and habitat loss. However, lawmakers from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party have been lobbying to overturn the ban, especially on elephant hunting. They argue that populations have become unmanageably large in parts, placing the animals on a collision course with humans. Khama's successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, launched a month of nationwide consultations that could see the end of the ban.