But Van Schalkwyk emphasized that the issue would be put to the public before the Cabinet — consisting of the president, deputy president and 25 ministers — approved the recommendation.
"It's obvious that there are a lot of emotions around this issue. There's a special aura around elephants."
"We hope we would be able to convince people that this is not hunting an elephant, this is culling as a management option," the minister said.
It would take between 18 months and two years from now to start culling if the Cabinet approves the recommendation, he said.
Besides culling, other population control measures would include capture, translocation and contraception.
The elephant population in South Africa's largest and best-known reserve, Kruger National Park, is increasing at a rate of seven percent a year, which means there will be some 20,000 elephants in 2012.
Elephant culling in Kruger started in 1967 and was halted in 1995 following an outcry from animal rights groups after more than 14,500 elephants were killed and another 2,175 translocated.
The elephant population in the park stood at 7,000 when culling was banned, in what was then considered its maximum carrying capacity. Now there are some 12,500 in Kruger and between 14,000 and 15,000 countrywide.
