The scenario is reminiscent of certain films of disasters : hundreds of elephants found dead no one really knows what. This is the disaster that currently lives in Botswana, where more than 350 of these majestic animals are dead in the north of the country, mainly around water points, reports The Guardian.
The phenomenon has been found for the first time at the beginning of the month of may in the Okavango delta, to the north of the african State to more than 135 000 elephants. "It is a decimation mass to a level that has not been seen for a very, very long time ", explains the newspaper, Dr. Niall McCann, director of conservation of the british National Park Rescue. Scientists already have several tracks, such as a poisoning or a pathogen is unknown. But the Botswana government has been slow to test the remains, and the results are still pending.
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The possibility of cyanide poisoning, prized by poachers, seems for the moment unlikely, because the scavengers do not seem to die after having devoured the remains of elephants. Other elements add to the mystery. For example, several of the elephants were seen walking round and round, before their death, which could tip the balance towards a neurological impairment.
Several voices within the scientific community, have already been heard to point to the lack of response of the authorities, yet very much involved in the conservation of local wildlife. Some professionals are also pessimistic about the evolution of the phenomenon : elephants found dead were of both sexes and of different ages, which could imply that one continues to find the carcasses of dead animals prematurely.
