20,000 Elephants for Germany? Botswana's Unusual Offer to Chancellor Merz Causes a Stir

Botswana, a country in the heart of Africa, has a very special problem: too many elephants. An astonishing 130,000 of these majestic animals inhabit the country, but only about 70,000 could sustainably live there. This leads to a real elephant plague: people are trampled to death, entire villages are devastated, and crops are destroyed. It is a dramatic situation that requires an unusual solution.

The Elephant Dispute with the Greens – What's Behind It?

The idea of sending elephants to Germany is not entirely new. Over a year ago, there were initial diplomatic tensions. The then President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was furious with the German Greens. Why? Because of a planned ban on the import of hunting trophies. Masisi accused the Greens of being "fundamentalists" and acting "out of ideology." His message was clear: it is easy to judge Botswana's affairs from Berlin.

Merz in the Spotlight: Is Germany Ready for the Giants?

Now, the seasoned diplomat Masisi has renewed his elephant offer and is directly targeting Chancellor Friedrich Merz. At a meeting in Berlin, he unequivocally demanded: "The federal government should prepare to receive our elephants." And he became even more specific: "Mr. Merz, do you want the 20,000 elephants? If Germany takes the first five, that's a good start." Masisi expressed his delight with Merz's Africa policy and emphasized that he takes Botswana "seriously – unlike the Greens." He even accused former Green ministers of trying to withdraw the elephant offer to avoid harming their party. But Botswana will not be dictated to, because "we Africans are not second-class people."

Freedom for Elephants and Trade for Ivory: Botswana's Clear Demands

The conditions for elephant asylum are clear: the giants must be allowed to roam freely in Germany – just like in their homeland. "We want our elephants to roam freely," said Masisi. "The German weather is bad enough for them." He added sardonically: "You should live with the animals as you try to prescribe to us." But that's not all! Botswana also demands that Germany legalize the ivory trade. The storage and guarding of the "white gold" cause enormous costs for the state budget.

Plush Elephant and Viral Hit: The Message Has Arrived!

As a symbolic act, Masisi already handed a reporter the first elephant – albeit as a cute plush figure. One thing is clear: the worldwide attention his elephant offer has generated is something the diplomat visibly enjoys. "We loved that it went viral. And the memes! It gave me a kick," he revealed. Whether Germany will bow to the extraordinary offer and soon have elephant herds roaming the Brandenburg steppe remains to be seen. It would certainly be a picture for the history books!

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.