The Shocking And Mysterious Deaths Of Hundreds Of Elephants In Botswana Puzzle The Scientists

The New York Times

There is definitely a growing concern about the unbelievable mass deaths of hundreds of elephants in Botswana, Africa, but authorities and scientists are still unsure of the cause. At least 350 elephants have died in the African country within a few months. Surely, there must be something terribly wrong.


Researchers first noticed the anomaly in the Okavango Delta, where last May, 169 elephants were reported to have mysteriously died. By last month, the number almost doubled to 300. Obviously this is highly unusual, as Dr. Niall McCann, director of conservation at the UK-based charity National Park Rescue, pointed out. “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,” he said. If the experts are worried, then surely there is something terribly wrong.

Africanews

While it still is unclear what is causing the mass deaths, there are some clues. Local sources have pointed out that about 70 percent of the deaths occurred near watering holes. Speculation is in the air if the water may have been poisoned, but scientists and the government of Botswana have not tested any of the water samples yet. McCann exclaimed, “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.” Some government people just don’t realize the importance of working fast.

McCann also noted that the animals seemed to die quickly, as some have fallen straight down on their faces. But, some animals also took longer in expiring, so no conclusions can yet be drawn. “So it’s very difficult to say what this toxin is,” McCann explained. He even said that Covid-19 has been suggested as a possible cause, but a lot of experts find this highly unlikely. The strange thing is it seems localized, as neighboring areas have not reported mass elephant deaths.

Foreigner

The delta has about 15,000 elephant inhabitants, which is about 10% of the entire country’s elephant population. Eco-tourism generates an estimated 10-12% of the country’s GDP, surpassed only by the lucrative diamond industry. The government of Botswana lifted its ban on hunting wildlife just last year. Sadly, they began selling expensive hunting rights to international poachers.


Botswana has the largest elephant population in the world, with around 130,000 of these pachyderms within its borders. Yet, the newly elected government rationalized that the ban was lifted because the elephant population was having an impact on people’s livelihoods as the animals increasingly came into contact with humans. But, despite the high number of elephants in Botswana, they are still considered to be an endangered species, as they are classified as such in Asia. While elephants are considered vulnerable in Africa, their numbers are declining due to overhunting and loss of habitat. And now a new threat is present, hopefully the government of Botswana can identify what is causing the mass die-offs before it is too late.

 

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!

True Activist / Report a typo

Popular on True Activist