Mystery behind Botswana's mass elephant die-off unraveled, govt reveals the cause

Botswana, the country with one of the largest elephant population in the world has after months released the cause behind the deaths hundreds of elephants that had passed away under mysterious circumstances. The Botswana government in a press conference revealed that the samples collected from the elephants showed the cause of death to be a naturally occurring toxin called cyanobacteria.

Deaths caused by a naturally occurring toxin

As per official data, over 300 elephants died between the months of April and June in a country that boasts an elephant population of about 130,000. In recent years the growing number of elephants in the African country has been praised by conservationists, this has made Botswana heaven for tourists who want to see and photograph wildlife. But the rise in elephant numbers has also caused tensions with the locals that blame them for the destruction of cropland, as a result immediately after the deaths it was feared that the elephants may have been deliberately poisoned by locals.

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Popular sentiment in Botswana is currently not in favour of the elephants, Botswana’s current President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has promised to bring the elephants under control and has even reintroduced hunting licenses that had been done away by his predecessor.

While the reason for the elephant's deaths has already been attributed to a naturally occurring toxin, and even the deputy director of Botswana's wildlife ministry has stated that he does not believe there to be any human connection to the deaths a lot of questions still remain unanswered. In the same news conference where Cyril Taolo, the deputy director of Botswana's wildlife ministry denied human connection to the death, Mmadi Reuben, the ministry's head veterinary officer stated that the fact that the elephants were the only animals to have died from the toxin was strange because the toxin was found in the water which was consumed by other animals as well.

(Image Pixabay)

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