Botswana’s trophy hunting revival decimates mature elephant bulls, threatening herd survival

Botswana’s decision to resume elephant trophy hunting in 2019 after a five-year ban is creating a crisis within the country’s elephant populations, with mature bulls being hunted to near-extinction levels, according to a new report by Elephants Without Borders (EWB).

Since lifting the moratorium, Botswana has allowed approximately 400 elephants to be killed annually—roughly 0.3% of the national population. Trophy hunters specifically target “tuskers,” the large-tusked mature bulls over 30 years old that serve as prized trophies. Using simulation models, EWB researchers found that current hunting quotas could reduce bulls older than 30 by 25% and those over 50 by a devastating 50% compared to non-hunted populations.

While older bulls represent only a small fraction of elephant herds, they play irreplaceable roles in elephant society. These patriarch elephants lead breeding activities, mentor younger males in crucial social behaviors, and serve as living libraries of cultural knowledge essential for herd survival—including migration routes, water sources, and danger recognition passed down through generations.

The crisis is compounded by Botswana’s wildlife department failing to account for additional threats when setting hunting quotas. Beyond trophy hunting, mature bulls face mounting pressures from poaching, severe droughts, disease outbreaks, and escalating human-elephant conflicts. This multi-pronged assault on the most experienced members of elephant society threatens to unravel the complex social structures that have enabled these intelligent mammals to survive for millennia, potentially triggering behavioral changes that could ripple through entire populations.