Elephants found dead in Botswana have been killed by bacteria

Elephants in Zimbabwe (illustration) -

We finally know what has caused the deaths of hundreds of elephants in Botswana since last March.

The pachyderms were poisoned by a cyanobacterium "which developed in the water points", revealed the government on Monday.

More than 300 elephants have been found dead since last March in the country, especially in the Okavango Delta region.

The trail of poaching had been ruled out, because the animals still had their tusks.

Anthrax (or anthrax disease) was also excluded.

Analyzes still in progress

Elephant deaths ceased at the end of June, a period that coincides with the drying up of the water points where the animals used to go.

Blood tests confirmed that a bacterium producing neurotoxins was responsible for their death.

The tests were carried out by specialized laboratories in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Canada.

Research on the bacteria is continuing.

Landlocked between Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, Botswana is home to around 130,000 free-roaming elephants, one-third of their known African population.

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• Animals

• Planet

• Bacterium

• Poisoning

• Botswana

• elephant