Many conservationists on Thursday reacted with anger over Botswana’s decision to lift its blanket ban on hunting, describing it as a “horrifying” move, though others backed the idea.

A government statement said the cabinet had been influenced by the “high levels of human-elephant conflict” and its “impact on livelihoods”.

“Predators appear to have increased and were causing a lot of damage as they killed livestock in large numbers,” it said.

“The general consensus from those consulted was that the hunting ban should be lifted.”

A blanket hunting ban was introduced in 2014 by then-president Ian Khama, a keen environmentalist, to reverse a decline in the population of wild animals.

But lawmakers from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party…