GABORONE, Feb. 6 — The Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program has proved to be a functional monitoring tool for Botswana, an official said Monday.
Poaching incidents have drastically gone down over the past five years thanks to the program, Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Tourism Philda Kereng told Xinhua in a telephone interview.
“MIKE is a crucial part of Botswana’s elephant management plan,” Kereng said.
It has been implemented within the context of broader spatial planning initiatives, including the Elephant Management and Action Plan 2021-2026, according to Kereng, adding that Botswana hopes losses of elephants due to illegal activities will be reduced to less than five percent by 2026 through this plan. (Xinhua)
Monitoring tool against illegal killing of elephants crucial for Botswana
