Botswana has so many elephants it approved the killing of 23 this week for independence celebrations

GABORONE, Botswana -- GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — Botswana's government authorized the killing of 23 elephants for its independence day celebrations this week, drawing criticism from conservationists and one of its former presidents.The licenses to hunt the elephants were issued in districts across the country, with each receiving a portion of the overall quota. The elephants would provide meat for needy rural communities, authorities said Friday in defense of the move.While African savanna elephants are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the southern African nation of Botswana has a large elephant population estimated at around 130,000, more than any other country.Its controlled annual elephant hunting quotas have sparked criticism before, but the government has defended them as necessary to manage elephant numbers and try and limit human-elephant conflict. Botswana lifted a ban on hunting elephants in 2019, largely because of their burgeoning numbers.Botswana has issued annual quotas to hunt between 200 and more than 400 elephants recently, depending on the year.The government also authorized this week the killing of dozens of antelope a...