A mysterious dying off of hundreds of elephants in Botswana has scientists and researchers scratching their heads. Since the beginning of May 2020, when reports started coming in that elephants were being found dead, there have been more than 350 cases in and around Botswana’s Okavango Delta. (1)
Dead Elephant Numbers On The Rise
The first reported deaths came in early May of 2020. There were a total of 169 deceased elephants by the end that month, and at the mid-June mark a few weeks later, the number had already more than doubled.
“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,” said Dr. Niall McCann, Director of Conservation at the UK-based National Park Rescue. (1)
Unknown Pathogen or Poisoning?
The two most likely explanations for what is happening are that there is some unknown pathogen that is tearing through the elephant population, or that they are being poisoned. Though the Botswana government has not sent any samples for testing, according to the Guardian, Anthrax has been ruled out as a possibility.
McCann said: “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.” (1)
The Mystery Of The Dead Elephants
It’s unclear why there has been no effort to get samples tested, especially in light of the current pandemic situation with the novel coronavirus. It is well understood that viruses and pathogens can and do jump from animals to people, so it seems logical that gaining an understanding of what is causing these deaths is a wise step.
Local witnesses have stated that they’ve seen elephants walking around in circles. “If you look at the carcasses, some of them have fallen straight on their face, indicating they died very quickly. Others are obviously dying more slowly, like the ones that are wandering around. So it’s very difficult to say what this toxin is,” said McCann. (1)
It doesn’t seem to affect a particular age group or gender more than anyone else. Officials have spotted certain animals that seem weaker and more emaciated than others, suggesting that whatever it is, is ongoing.
Cyanide poisoning is still a possibility, but that doesn’t seem likely to pan out either. This is a typical way that poachers kill elephants, but the animals are all being found with their tusks intact. In addition, the scavengers who come through to feed on the carcasses are not dying, a pretty clear sign that poisoning is not the culprit.
On the other hand, there have been no deaths reported in other counties. So in that way, it seems very much targeted… very specific to this region and these elephants. (1)
What is causing this massive elephant die-off?
Without proper testing, it’s going to be very hard to get to the heart of the matter. Hopefully, Botswana officials will do the right thing and further the investigation by sending out some samples for testing.
