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In recent months, 330 dead animals have been found in the Okavango Delta. Authorities have now determined the probable cause of death in blood samples from dead animals.
The Botswana authorities consider cyanobacteria to be a probable cause of the mass deaths of Elephants made in the field. Laboratory tests with blood samples from dead animals, as well as soil and water samples, have shown that these poisonous microorganisms killed animals in the Okavango Delta in the northwest of the country, Mamadi Reuben, chief veterinarian of the country, said Monday. the wildlife park authority.
Some types of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are life-threatening toxins. This can have consequences for animals when they drink water, for example if the microbes there multiply on a large scale with the growth of algae.
330 elephants killed
In recent months, a total of 330 deaths Elephants Found in the Okavango Delta, said Cyril Taolo of the wildlife park authority. Poaching was ruled out from the start as a cause of death, as the corpses were found with their fangs intact. It is not yet clear why apparently no other species are affected, Reuben said.
The Okavango Delta is famous throughout the world for its spectacular landscapes and rich wildlife. Botswana, in southern Africa, has so far had a good reputation on the continent in terms of protecting nature and animals, but went bankrupt last year due to the lifting of the Elephant hunting bans Indignation. In neighboring Zimbabwe, at least 22 Elephants found dead. There the cause of death has not yet been clarified.
Beaches and lakes closed again and again
Strictly speaking, blue-green algae are bacteria capable of photosynthesis, called cyanobacteria, it was said. When they multiply explosively, there can be a build-up of toxins in the water. For example, the liver toxin microcystin, if taken for a longer period of time, can damage human genetic material and lead to tumors.
Due to a toxic seaweed carpet, Polish health authorities temporarily closed several beaches on the Baltic Sea in late July. Swimming was prohibited in eight bathing locations due to dangerous cyanobacteria, better known as blue-green algae. In Switzerland, six dogs died after a swim in Lake Neuchâtel, which was contaminated with a high concentration of cyanobacteria.
(WHAT / dpa / Red.)
