THE Zambian government stands to make MILLIONS by letting sick trophy hunters slaughter thousands of hippos in the country, a charity has said.

Zambia says the mass killing is being carried out to control the hippopotamus population in Luangwa Valley in the east of the African nation.

2 Zambia is allowing sick trophy hunters to slaughter thousands of its hippos Credit: Facebook

However, experts at Born Free have slammed the decision insisting the species is increasingly rare and is being threatened across the African continent.

The killing of 1,250 hippos over five years could generate upwards of £2.6m for trophy hunting outfitters and the Zambian government, the charity says.

Dr Mark Jones, Associate Director of the International wildlife organisation, called the planned cull a “cynical move” by money-hungry officials.

Speaking with The Sun Online, he said: “We don't believe there is any reason the hippos should be culled and trophy hunting is not in any way an appropriate way of managing animal populations.

This is a thinly veiled opportunity for a few people to make a bit of money

“These hunts are being sold by a South African hunting outfit called Siluwe Hunting - they're talking about hunters killing two hippos for over £4,350

“So our belief is that this is very far from an animal management programme and very much to do with lining the pockets of trophy outfitters and very presumably of some of Zambia's officials.”

He added: “This is a thinly veiled opportunity for a few people to make a bit of money.”

There are only approximately 130,000 wild hippos remaining on the planet and the sick trophy hunting industry is driven by Asian demand for their tusks as a substitute for ivory.

2 A South African company is charging trophy hunters thousands for every animal they kill

Local and international conservationists and safari operators are also opposed to the slaughter as they fear a tourism backlash, Born Free says.

However, Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) is now poised to push ahead with the cull.

Born Free President & Co-Founder, Will Travers OBE questioned the government’s reasoning for the mass killing.

He said: “The justifications for this cull are like a sea of shifting sand.

“Originally, it was to prevent an outbreak of anthrax (which can be found in the carcasses of the dead hippos).

They've dressed up a trophy hunting quota as some kind of wildlife management tool

“Then it was because the water levels in the Luangwa River were precariously low. Now it is because there is a perceived hippo over-population.

“Yet none of these ‘justifications’ stand up to scrutiny.”

Dr Jones said there is no evidence for the anthrax outbreak, while adding: "They've dressed up a trophy hunting quota as some kind of wildlife management tool.

"They've claimed there's an over population in Luangwa Valley which they claim has resulted from a lack of rainfall.

"Well there's been no lack of rainfall - it's been quite consistency average in the last few years."

The charity is urging the British government to take action against the proposed. massacre.

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The UK is a significant donor to Zambia through the Department for International Development (DfID).

British taxpayers sent £45m to the country last year to assist with poverty relief, education, school meals and more.

Born Free is writing to Penny Mordaunt MP, the DfID Secretary, asking her to use her influence to seek a commitment from Zambia not to proceed with the cull.

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