Gaborone: Botswana, home to the world's largest elephant population, on Friday was set to hold its first major auction for trophy elephant hunting quotas since scrapping a hunting ban last year. The sale will be conducted by a local firm from the premises of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism in the capital Gaborone. President Mokgweetsi Masisi raised the ire of conservationists in May when he revoked a moratorium, just a year after he succeeded Ian Khama, an avid environmentalist, who introduced a blanket ban in 2014 to reverse a decline in the population of wild animals. Masisi fended off criticism of his government's decision, saying the move would not threaten the elephant population."

The government is issuing seven hunting "packages" of 10 elephants each, confined to "controlled hunting areas", a wildlife spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa told AFP on Thursday. In a text message, she said hunting would help areas most impacted by "human wildlife conflict," a reference to elephants roaming off game parks into communities. The 2020 hunting season is expected to open in April. Bidding is open to "companies that are either owned by Botswana citizens or are registered in Botswana," she added. Bidders must make a refundable deposit of 200,000 pula (USD 18,300) to participate. According to an auction advisory, bidders must have "demonstrable appropriate elephant hunting experience" and have no previous wildlife criminal convictions. Hunting of collared elephants will be prohibited.