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An ad in the state-run New Era newspaper said an increase in incidents of conflict between humans and elephants led to the sale.
Namibian elephants are among several species that are at risk of extinction due to poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and ecological factors.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said it would auction the elephants to anyone in Namibia or abroad who could meet certain strict criteria, including quarantine facilities and a hunting-proof fence certificate for the property where they are held. they will keep the elephants.
Foreign buyers must also provide proof that their country’s conservation authorities will allow them to export elephants to their countries.
Like several other African nations, Namibia is trying to strike a balance between protecting high-value species such as elephants and rhinos, while managing the danger they pose when they invade human-inhabited areas.
Namibia’s conservation campaign has enjoyed international support: Its elephant population has risen from about 7,500 in 1995 to 24,000 in 2019, according to government figures.
But last year, Namibia said it was considering withdrawing from the rules governing the global trade in endangered species. This was after countries voted during a CITES meeting to reject proposals to relax restrictions on hunting and exporting their white rhinos.
The country wants to allow more trophy hunting and the export of live animals, arguing that the funds it would raise would help it protect the species.
In October, it put up 70 female and 30 male buffalo from the Waterberg Plateau Park in central Namibia in an attempt to ease pressure on rangelands.
The arid southern African nation also auctioned 1,000 national park animals, including 500 buffalo, in 2019 as it faced its worst drought in a century.
