Zimbabwe follows proper procedures when exporting its elephants and does not sell baby animals, an official said on Monday.

Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority chief
ecologist terrestrial, Rose Mandisodza said reports that Zimbabwe was
exporting baby elephants were not true.

There have been reports that Zimbabwe was exporting baby elephants to
China, sparking outcry from wildlife conservationists who were saying
proper procedures were not being followed.

“We are not selling baby elephants as a country. Baby elephants cannot
be removed from their mothers because when they are still babies, they
are so dependent on milk, the moment you remove them; they will die,
Mandisodza told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment
and Tourism.

“But what we are taking for export, we are taking sub- adult
elephants. These are independent, they are not dependent on milk and
if we move them to new locations, they will be able to adapt.