Botswana has authorised the killing of 23 elephants to provide meat for its 60th independence celebrations on Wednesday, a decision that has drawn criticism from animal rights activists and conservation groups. The country, which is home to the world's largest elephant population of over 130,000 animals, issued the licence through its Ministry of Environment and Tourism to source meat for the national festivities marking independence from Britain.

The decision has reignited concerns about conservation and poaching, with the Elephant Protection Society warning that sanctioning elephant slaughter could normalise the killing of the animals and encourage illegal hunting. The 23 elephants were allocated across eight districts, and images from Wednesday morning showed residents gathering around carcasses to collect meat. Additional concerns have been raised about public health risks from foot-and-mouth disease, the cultural and ecological significance of elephants, and the fairness of meat distribution, with some communities suggesting buffalo would have been a more appropriate choice for the celebrations.