DROUGHT: Was Zimbabwe right to have sold 30 baby elephants to China?

Animal welfare groups have slammed the government of Zimbabwe for flying up to 30 young elephants for sale in a different country, believed to be China.

The animal welfare groups said that the animals may be traumatised on arrival in China.

According to Lenin Chisaira, director of the Advocates4Earth environmental group, they’ve been campaigning against the sale of wild elephants.

READ ALSO: 55 elephants starve to death in Zimbabwe drought

“We have been campaigning against the capture and sale of wild elephants and the way they are taken to places outside of their traditional areas. Usually they are taken to zoos and there they are broken down in a very cruel manner,” he told the BBC.

However, Zimbabwe’s National Parks service argues that it needs to earn hard currency to support other wildlife during a devastating drought which has already killed 55 elephants.

Tenashi Farawo, spokesman for Zimbabwe’s National Parks, said proceeds from the sale of the elephants would be used to dig wells to save other wildlife in Hwangi National Park.

He also accused campaigners of using emotion to stir up undue public anger.

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