Botswana is home to a third of the declining elephant population in Africa
New Delhi:
The mysterious deaths of more than 350 elephants in Botswana over a two-month period have puzzled scientists and researchers, according to reports.
Elephant carcasses are scattered in the northwestern parts of the African nation. They show no signs of injury to indicate poaching.
New investigations have also ruled out human poisoning and anthrax, which sometimes affects wildlife in this part of Botswana, reported the Reuters news agency.
“We are still awaiting results on the exact cause of death,” regional wildlife coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe told Reuters.
Botswana is home to a third of the declining elephant population in Africa.
It is possible that something is attacking the neurological systems of the elephants as many of them seem to fall dead on their faces, the BBC reported, citing Dr. Niall McCann of the British charity National Park Rescue.
The elephants are killed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
There is insufficient data to see whether something that kills elephants could enter the human population.
The total population of African elephants is decreasing due to poaching, but Botswana, which is home to almost a third of the continent’s elephants, saw its number drop to 130,000 from 80,000 in the late 1990s, thanks to well-managed reserves.
However, they are seen as a growing nuisance by farmers, whose crops have been destroyed by elephants wandering in the southern African country.
With contributions from Reuters
