More Than 350 Elephants Found Dead In Botswana In ¡®Mysterious Mass Die-Off¡¯

In what is being described as a ¡®mysterious mass die-off¡¯ more hundreds of elephants have died in northern Botswana. Scientists are calling it a ¡®conservation disaster¡¯.

According to Guardian report, a cluster of elephant deaths was first reported in the Okavango Delta in early May, with 169 dead by the end of the month. By June, the number more than doubled. 70 per cent of the deaths were clustered around waterholes. The number of death now stands at 350, according to reports.

Guardian

¡°This is a mass die-off on a level that hasn¡¯t been seen in a very, very long time. Outside of drought, I don¡¯t know of a die-off that has been this significant,¡± Guardian quoted Dr Niall McCann, the director of conservation at UK-based charity National Park Rescue as saying.

According to the report, two main possible causes of deaths could be poisoning or an unknown pathogen. Cyanide poisoning, often used by poachers in Zimbabwe could be a possibility but scavenging animals do not seem to be dying at the carcasses.

The government of Botswana has not yet tested any samples therefore there is no information on what is causing the death and if there is a risk to human health.

¡°When we¡¯ve got a mass die-off of elephants near human habitation at a time when wildlife disease is very much at the forefront of everyone¡¯s minds, it seems extraordinary that the government has not sent the samples to a reputable lab,¡± McCann said.

Guardian

Locals say that they saw some elephants walking around in circles, which could be an indication of neurological impairment.

¡°If you look at the carcasses, some of them have fallen straight on their face, indicating they died very quickly. Others are obviously dying more slowly, like the ones that are wandering around. So it¡¯s very difficult to say what this toxin is,¡± said McCann.

Elephants of all ages and both sexes have been dying. According to the report elephants that are alive appear weak and emaciated, suggesting more will die in the coming weeks.

Also Read: 537 Endangered Vultures Die After Eating Poisoned Elephants Killed By Poachers In Botswana

Guardian

¡°It¡¯s a conservation disaster, it speaks of a country that is failing to protect its most valuable resource,¡± McCann reportedly said.

Last year, Botswana legalised the hunting of elephants because the country had ¡®too many of them¡¯ post which 70 elephants were legally killed there.

Conservationists believe that the government needs to get samples immediately to rule out any risk to human health.