Are in within a few weeks Botswana Hundreds Elephant has died. Authorities are now checking whether the animals have been poisoned or whether a previously unknown plague is rampant among elephants.
The mass extinction began loudly “Guardian” At the beginning of May in the Okavango Delta in the north of the country, more than 350 elephants are now dead. About two thirds of the carcasses are in the immediate vicinity of water holes. However, it is unclear whether the animals have poisoned themselves when drinking. Both young and older animals have died.
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15,000 elephants live in the Okavango Delta, about a tenth of the entire population in Botswana. If the mass extinction continues, it would be a disaster for the protection of species, warn environmental organizations.
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“There has been no mass extinction at this level for a very, very long time,” said Niall McCann of the British non-profit organization National Park Rescue. “Outside of droughts, I am not aware of any mass extinctions of this magnitude.” The number of elephants who died could increase because other animals were remarkably weak.
The Botswana government has announced that it will test the carcasses for poisoning or previously unknown diseases. However, environmentalists accuse them of acting too slowly.
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“Directly on the face”
The most likely cause of the events was initially anthrax, also known as anthrax, which is transmitted via bacteria. However, experts are now ruling it out.
“If you look at the carcasses, some of the elephants fell directly on your face. That suggests that they died very quickly,” said McCann. However, there are also reports of animals that went in circles before they died. This could indicate a neurological cause.
Studies are now to show whether the elephants have died of cyanide poisoning. The poison is used more often by poachers. However, animals that eat the carcasses of the elephants would also have to poison themselves. So far there is no evidence of this. According to the authorities, the first test results will be available in the coming weeks.
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