Animal bodies were found in the Okavango Delta region in northern Botswana, writes The New York Times. As it is specified, many animals seemed to fall forward with their breasts while running, however their tusks remained untouched, which rejects the version of poaching.
A number of experts do not exclude that this can happen for natural reasons.
“As the elephant population grows, the likelihood of mass extinction increases,” said Chris Thouless, a researcher at the Kenyan Save the Elephants organization.
At the same time, the director of the National Park Rescue anti-poaching organization, Mark Haley, noted that in this case it is important to send an independent team of researchers to Botswana and select soil and water to identify possible causes of death of elephants, as well as analyze the remains of animals.
According to the newspaper, about 130 thousand elephants live in the savannahs of Botswana - a third of the world population.
As stated in the African Wildlife Foundation, experts have already taken samples from 275 carcasses of elephants for further research. The Guardian, citing a source, reported that 70% of dead elephants were found near watering places.
In October 2019, the World Organization for Animal Health announced that about a quarter of the world's pig population could die from African swine fever.