The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has confirmed authorising the killing of 21 elephants and several other wild species as part of Botswana's 59th Independence Day celebrations, a decision that has brought condemnation from conservationists and animal welfare groups across the world.

The order, contained in a Savingram dated September 25, 2025, instructed district officers and wildlife rangers to facilitate the cull. Officials defended the move as a long-standing population control measure designed to safeguard rural communities and farms from elephant-related destruction.