The southern African nation, which is home to the world's largest elephant population, marked its 60th anniversary of self-rule (Diamond Jubilee) on September 30, commemorating the historic milestone, called Boipuso locally.
According to the BBC, a licence issued by Botswana's Ministry of Environment and Tourism allows 23 elephants and other wild animals to be hunted for what the authorities describe as "complimentary purposes".
The decision has sparked concern among wildlife protection groups. Oaitse Nawa, chairperson of the Botswana-based Elephant Protection Society, told the BBC that the African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) needed greater protection.
He warned that using elephants for celebratory feasts could send the wrong message about wildlife protection and may encourage poaching by making the killing of elephants appear acceptable when it is officially sanctioned.
"Elephants have lost their social structures because they are always being pushed from one place to another by gunshots", Nawa said.
The BBC also reported that some people in Botswana have raised concerns about eating game meat during an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Authorities have introduced measures to control the spread of the disease.
Tshenatshe Monwela, an elder from Maun, said his community should have been given buffalo instead. He argued that elephants have important cultural and environmental value and said Botswana's record of protecting wildlife should have been considered when deciding which animals would be used for the celebrations.
The twenty-three elephants were allocated across eight districts. It was not immediately clear how many had been killed by Wednesday morning.
Local media reports showed residents gathering around elephant carcasses and collecting meat. In some areas, people were seen using knives to cut meat directly from the animals.
In the Chobe district, a local lawmaker raised concerns after residents reportedly collected meat from an elephant carcass at a school.
MP Simasiku Mapulanga said the distribution could create problems for elderly people, pregnant women and people with disabilities. He suggested that the meat should instead be processed into smaller packages to improve hygiene and make distribution more orderly.
Elephant meat is eaten in some wildlife-rich communities, particularly when meat from legal hunts is distributed locally. However, it is not considered an everyday staple across Botswana.
The country's laws also place strict controls on game meat, with possession generally requiring proof that the meat came from a legal hunt.
The controversy has revived a long-running debate over how Botswana should manage its large elephant population.
Botswana has more than 130,000 elephants. Communities living close to wildlife areas have frequently complained about elephants damaging crops and property, while some people have also been killed in encounters with the animals.
The government have defended regulated hunting as a way to manage the elephant population and reduce conflict between people and wildlife. Officials also say hunting generates money for conservation and development in local communities.
Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014 under former president Ian Khama. The ban was lifted five years later under his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi. Hunting has continued under President Duma Boko, who took office after winning the 2024 election.
The government say revenue from hunting is used to support conservation and local development. Environment and Tourism Minister Wynter Mmolotsi told parliament last year that special elephant hunting quotas generated 15.6 million pula, worth about $1.1 million, in 2025 for projects in areas where elephants are found.
However, conservation groups continue to question whether the level of hunting is sustainable.
Supporters of Botswana's hunting policy argue that international criticism does not always reflect the difficulties faced by rural communities living alongside large elephant populations. They say elephants can destroy crops and infrastructure and pose a danger to people as their habitat increasingly overlaps with farms and settlements.
