Some bodies were found clustered around water holes, while others appeared to have died “falling flat on their face,” according to Niall McCann, director of conservation for UK charity National Park Rescue.
Live elephants seen nearby seemed physically weak, and one walked in circles, unable to change direction, observers said. Other species in the area did not appear to have been affected by what struck the elephants.
The Botswana government is analyzing samples of the dead elephants, but has yet to determine the cause of death.
The unusual number of elephant carcasses was first recorded in early May, McCann said.
“It is awful, we need to know what the hell is going on,” he said, adding that he couldn’t recall another time when so many elephants died of a mysterious cause.
“800 of them are out there like a magnet for criminals,” he added.
McCann said there were several possibilities of what might have caused the deaths, including a specific elephant parasite, or even Covid-19.
“What I would like to emphasize is that this has the potential to be a public health crisis,” he said.
Regardless of the cause, McCann said it was important to get to the bottom, as the loss of life for elephants was “globally important,” he said.
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