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Elephants in Zimbabwe worry officials
United Press International
December 29, 2004

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20041229-081242-6490r.htm

Harare, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's wildlife management authority plans to cull some elephants to control the jumbo population.

The authority says the problem has caused serious damage to the biodiversity, driving other smaller animal species to extinction, the Harare Chronicle reported.

"We have plans to reduce the elephant population as a control mechanism in the wake of the large numbers of the animals and the destruction being caused to the environment," said authority spokesman Edward Mbewe. He did not say how many animals had been targeted.

Zimbabwe also heads the Elephant Management Taskforce to address elephant problems within the Southern African Development Community.

The elephant population in Zimbabwe has grown from 89,000 in 2001 to about 100,000 this year, the second highest in the region after Botswana which has 123,000.

Other countries seeking to control the elephant population are Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.

Animal rights groups oppose the plans to reduce population, saying there has been no proper census to determine the elephant population.

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