Hundreds of elephants have mysteriously fallen dead in Botswana, leaving wildlife experts and government officials searching for answers.
Dr Niall McCann, director of conservation for the UK-based charity National Park Rescue, told the BBC that since early May colleagues in Botswana had seen more than 350 elephant carcasses in the Okavango Delta of the country.
Heartbreaking aerial photos show dead elephants strewn across the Botswanan landscape. The mysterious deaths have also raised concerns about the possible health impact of people living in the local area.
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Close-up of a juvenile African elephant (Loxodonta africana) at Jao Concession, Wildlife, Okavango Delta in Botswana – 12/12/2019 – File photo.
(Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler / LightRocket via Getty Images)
“A catastrophic elephant death is taking place in northern Botswana, and no one knows why. It is vital that a team of independent experts visit and sample the carcasses before more elephants die, or this will spread to the local human population, ”McCann tweeted Wednesday.
Government officials in Botswana say there is no evidence that poaching is involved in the mysterious elephant deaths.
McCann told the Guardian that elephants have been seen walking in circles, which could indicate a neurological condition that is affecting them. The biologist told the Guardian that some of the elephants had fallen flat on their face, suggesting that they died quickly. Others, however, die more slowly.
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An unknown pathogen or poisoning are two possibilities, according to The Guardian, which says anthrax has been ruled out.
Phys.org reports that last year more than 100 elephants in Botswana died in a suspected outbreak of natural anthrax. Subsequent research reported that elephants died from anthrax, while others were victims of the drought, according to Phys.org.
The Guardian reports that cyanide poisoning, which is sometimes used by poachers, seems an unlikely cause of the latest death given that scavenger carcasses, such as vultures, have not been seen near elephant carcasses.
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Fox News has contacted Dr. McCann and the National Park Rescue about this story.
In a statement issued on July 2, the Botswanan government said investigations into unexplained deaths are ongoing.
“After the mysterious elephant deaths in the areas around Seronga since March 2020, to date, 275 elephant carcasses have been verified against the 365 reported cases,” he said. “Three laboratories in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Canada have been identified to process samples taken from dead elephants that will be interpreted against field veterinary evaluations of clinically ill and dead elephants.”
Seronga is a town located near the beginning of the Okavango Delta.
“Members of the public are assured that the tusks of the dead elephants are being removed and the carcasses near human settlements continue to be destroyed,” the Botswana government added in its statement.
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The African elephant is classified as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Last year, more than 500 vultures in Botswana were poisoned after the carcasses of elephants were attacked with chemicals.
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