[ad_1]
For months, the Botswana authorities have been investigating the cause of the mysterious elephant deaths in the Okavango Delta. They found bacteria in the dead animals that produce a kind of neurotoxin.
By Jana Genth, ARD-Studio Johannesburg
The authorities in Botswana see toxic bacteria as the cause of death for elephants. Cyril Taolo, who works at the Ministry of Nature and National Parks, is certain: “There is absolutely no reason to believe that there are people involved in these deaths. What is clear is that there was this water, the watering holes that were clearly in the center of the There were deaths. “
Cyanobacteria can be found in water, basically all types of water. Authorities found these bacteria in all the dead animals. Not all cyanobacteria have negative effects, scientists say. But those that produce a kind of neurotoxin can be found deeper in the water, exactly where elephants suck up the water they drink.
Bacteria found in mud
Mmadi Reuben, the Senior Veterinary Officer, sees this as the reason no other animal species were affected. “We know that the elephant is really the only animal that drinks under the surface of the water. And where it is not particularly deep, the elephants also suck the mud, and this is where the cyanobacteria mainly grow.”
Bacteria that produce toxins will increase as climate change progresses, scientists warn. In southern Africa, temperatures eventually rose twice as fast as the world average. This is understandable to the Taolo Ministry employee. “We did tests and showed that there were these cyanobacteria that could potentially produce some of these toxins that are known to affect both wildlife and farm animals.”
So it is not a phenomenon that has just been observed, but something that happens quite frequently when these environmental changes occur.
330 elephants killed in four months
According to Taolo, 330 elephants died between March and June, no more after that. That also astonished the authorities, but also many environmentalists. But vet Reuben has an explanation for this too. “Now that we have reduced it, we know very clearly why mortality stopped when the water wells dried up. We will continue to monitor the situation and then find solutions to avoid more deaths next season.
Because next season Botswana wants to welcome tourists back to its world famous Okavango Delta. Even after the death of 330 animals, the elephant population in Botswana is still estimated at 130,000 – a third of all African elephants live there.
