Spotlight: Drought-hit Zimbabwe puts wild animals on sale to locals

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe have put some animals in sanctuaries up for sale in a move, they say, to save the beasts from a devastating drought.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) issued an advertisement this week, inviting people, who meet certain requirements, to buy the wild animals.

"The authority is therefore inviting members of the public with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife to submit their Expression of Interest," Zimparks said.

Zimparks is expected to examine the bidders' land to determine whether it is fit for the animals. Its spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo confirmed the sale but would not give details.

A prolonged drought has left some four million people in Zimbabwe in need of food aid.

Zimbabwe is a habitat of various species of wildlife, including the so-called Big Five -- lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

Zimparks oversees an area of about 47,000 sq km -- including ten national parks -- which is equivalent to 12.5 percent of the land area of the country.

Though there was no information on the animals up for sale and their prices, it is said a baby elephant could fetch 40,000 to 60,000 U.S. dollars.

The revenue will be used by the authorities to fund their activities. Wildlife groups have so far remained mum on the issue.

Zimbabwe has a huge elephant population of about 80,000, most of them in Hwange National Park in the northwest.

Of an estimated 5,000 black rhinos left alive in the wild across the world, Zimbabwe has about 750.

Zimbabwean wildlife made headlines last year when a prized lion known as Cecil was killed by American hunter Walter Palmer, sparking an international outcry that led to more than 40 airlines banning the transportation of trophies on their planes. Endit