Botswana is home to a third of all African elephants left on Earth – a global treasure and the world’s last safe haven for these magnificent animals. We invite everyone who cares about wildlife to join our call for our new President to put an end to his predecessor’s destructive practices.

We, the people of Botswana, treasure our wildlife. It is part of our identity, our culture, and the foundation of our economy. Wildlife tourism contributes around 13% of our GDP and employs approximately 9% of our people, but the potential is even greater. Millions of visitors travel across the world to admire our extraordinary natural heritage. Yet, under the destructive leadership of former President Mokgweetsi Masisi, our wildlife, economy, and international reputation have suffered greatly.

Masisi’s shocking landslide loss of the presidency, after just one term, cannot be separated from his reckless wildlife management practices, including:

1. Dismantling the trophy hunting ban: Masisi reversed the policy that transformed Botswana into a global beacon of ecotourism, turning it into a playground for rich foreign trophy hunters. This prioritised short-term profits over the sustainable wealth and employment that millions of tourists brought to our country.

2. Disarming anti-poaching rangers: this decision triggered a devastating poaching epidemic, leading to the near-total loss of rhinos in our beautiful Okavango Delta and the deaths of many elephants.

3. Trivialising conservation: Masisi disrespected the plight of elephants, handing out elephant-foot stools as gifts at a wildlife conference and offering to ship 20,000 elephants to Europe – mocking their cause and the conservation challenges we face.

4. Increasing human-elephant conflict: decades of peer-reviewed studies show that violence against elephants exacerbates violence towards people. Masisi’s policies caused a surge in human-elephant conflict incidents, harming our communities and the potential for a peaceful coexistence with wildlife.

5. Undermining international protections: Masisi aligned with some of Africa’s most corrupt, Chinese-linked leaders in an attempt to dismantle the CITES wildlife regulations that ended the most violent era of elephant poaching driven by the ivory trade and the cruel, destructive export of wild elephants to zoos.

These actions not only harm our children’s natural heritage, they undermine Botswana’s identity, hurt its people, and tarnish its reputation as a world-class ecotourism destination.

We Call Upon President Duma Boko To:

1. Restore the trophy-hunting ban: return Botswana to its positive path as a leading ecotourism destination, supporting sustainable growth for our people.

2. Rearm rangers and strengthen anti-poaching efforts: protect our elephants, rhinos, and other wildlife from poachers and safeguard our national heritage.

3. Defend CITES protections: stand against malign efforts to weaken international laws that protect endangered species and prevent the horrors of the ivory and live export trades.

4. Commit to science-based conservation: adopt policies that prioritise sustainable tourism, wildlife protection, and community well-being over destructive exploitation.

We Batswana call upon President Boko not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor. It is time to restore Botswana as a global leader in conservation and a beacon of ecotourism. Let us end the colonial-era practices of rich foreigners coming to destroy the treasures of poorer countries for their entertainment. Instead, let us protect the wildlife that defines us, inspires millions, and supports our livelihoods.

By signing this petition, you can stand with Botswana to save its elephants and ensure a future where wildlife thrives for the benefit of our future generations, and for the future generations of tourists who come to see our magical treasures.

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More about my mission:

My name is Oaitse 'Oats' Nawa. I am a proud Motswana, a father, safari guide, and conservationist committed to fostering coexistence between people and wildlife in Botswana.

I have spent my life living alongside wildlife and watching their behaviour closely. Over the years, I’ve seen how animals, especially elephants, react to the way they are treated. When leaders who often grew up in towns turn to short-sighted ideas like trophy hunting or collecting ivory from so-called ‘problem animals’, it’s the communities living with these animals that face the consequences. Violence only leads to more violence, and we are the ones left to deal with the fallout.

Elephants are incredibly intelligent, like us, and they remember. Managing them is not the same as managing cattle, but some people don’t understand this. When elephants are provoked or mistreated, they become hostile – and their size and strength make them very dangerous to our people. I’m determined to show that a non-violent, science-based approach – one rooted in respect and understanding – is the intelligent way to manage wildlife sustainably.

Nature has a balance. If we care for it, it will care for us. I saw this during a severe drought, when I came across starving and dying hippos in the Nxaraga lagoon. The government told me to ‘let nature take its course’, but I couldn’t. I took out a loan, asked for donations, and started the Nxaraga Hippo Feeding Project. The project gained attention, others stepped in to help, and we saved many of those hippos. It showed me that compassion moves people, and that together we can make a real difference.

Our forefathers understood this balance. They were stewards of the land and respected nature. I believe that if we replace today’s violent approach to wildlife with respect and care, we will replace suffering with harmony and prosperity for our people. That’s what I hope to prove with the Shokomuka Elephant Coexistence Project, which we’re setting up in a farming village on an elephant highway near the Okavango Delta. Following kgotla meetings the community has generously offered land for the project. Although they’ve suffered greatly from human-elephant conflict, they believe in the potential for a better way. If coexistence methods can work here, they can work anywhere. Once we manage to find a little financial support, we will prove that with the right education, tools, and support, we can create a peaceful and profitable coexistence for both people and elephants.

My small organisation, the Elephants Protection Society, operates without major funding. It runs on my determination to change our destructive modern approach to wildlife. I organise protest walks against elephant culling and trophy hunting, activities which do not benefit communities and only make elephants more aggressive, creating a never-ending cycle of harm for us all.

My mission is simple: I want my children to grow up in a Botswana where humans and wildlife coexist, just as our forefathers once did. Through the Elephants Protection Society, I aim to show that coexistence is not only possible, but it is the key to a better future for wildlife, people, and our shared heritage. By signing this petition you will help end the destructive cycle of violence, starting with the government. Thank you for supporting me.

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Photo: Federico Veronese