Namibia has authorized the culling of hundreds of animals, including elephants, as part of a plan to feed people in the drought-stricken southern African country. 

About half of Namibia’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, the United Nations said last month. Meat from the 723 culled animals will be distributed as part of a drought relief program, the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced Monday.

“This exercise [is] necessary and is in line with our constitutional mandate where our natural resources are used for the benefit of Namibian citizens,” the ministry said. 

Namibia has experienced a 53% decline in cereal production and a nearly 70% reduction in dam water levels amid the drought, the United Nations said. A national state of emergency was declared on May 22.

Professional hunters and safari outfitters will handle the culling, which is being limited to national parks and communal areas with sustainable game numbers. The plan is to cull 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebras, 83 elephants and 100 elands. 

Officials said the culling will provide meat for people while also reducing the negative impact of drought on the conservation of wild animals, which are competing for grazing areas and water as the drought continues. 

Other countries, such as Australia, have previously permitted the culling of animals. The country has approved the deaths of thousands of kangaroos over the years, with officials warning in the past that there wasn’t enough food available to support the population of kangaroos. 

The severe drought in Namibia was brought on by El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when the Pacific Ocean experiences warmer-than-average surface temperatures. Climate change can exacerbate El Niño, leading to new record temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Increasing temperatures and inconsistent rainfall are two of the biggest threats to natural resources in Namibia, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Wildlife with access to fewer resources can also push into human settlements. 

Namibia, in its release about the culling plan, noted that the National Conference on Human Wildlife Conflict Management in 2023 determined elephant numbers should be reduced as a way to cut down on human-wildlife conflict.

“With the severe drought situation in the country, conflicts are expected to increase if no interventions are made,” officials said.