France, June 7 -- Zimbabwe is set to cull 50 elephants in an effort to manage soaring numbers in a southeastern game reserve, with meat from the operation to be distributed to nearby communities.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirmed the move this week, calling it a necessary step to ease environmental pressure in the Save Valley Conservancy, where elephant numbers have far exceeded the land's capacity.

An aerial survey in 2024 counted 2,550 elephants in the conservancy - more than three times its sustainable limit of 800.

Over the past five years, 200 elephants have been successfully relocated to other parks, but officials say relocation alone isn't enough to keep the ecosystem in balance.

"This is...