INTL What Has Killed More Than 300 Elephants in Africa?

PanBear

Veteran Member
Hundreds of elephants found dead in Botswana
Inside Edition

The mysterious deaths of several hundred elephants in northern Botswana within a short period of time is raising deep concerns.

Question over these deaths remain unanswered several days after the publication of a report by the NGO Elephants Without Borders and its confirmation by Director of National Parks and Wildlife.

At least 275, carcasses have been found while the NGO reports a figure of 356 elephants.

"At this stage, it's difficult to really tell what could be the cause of the mortal…

video 1:40 min - July 3, 2020
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZf7TDETSBM




Mysterious deaths of over 400 elephants under investigation in Botswana
SCMP

An investigation is under way after hundreds of elephants in northern Botswana began dying of mysterious causes in early May 2020. Authorities say poaching has been ruled out because the animal carcasses were found intact. Conservation groups are looking into disease or poisoning as possible explanations.

video 1:11 min - July 3, 2020
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t7uCjzXL3M
 

PanBear

Veteran Member
Per the guidelines from this forum, on video postings:
post the runtime
post a description
the url video posting is listed in small print listed below the video

Done all that.
 
Per the guidelines from this forum, on video postings:
post the runtime
post a description
the url video posting is listed in small print listed below the video

Done all that.
I was not questioning the video - rather, the text content source - after going to the video URL, I see that this is from the YouTube description.

Thanks for these stories - noting as to where the text originated would have made things clearer - say, add a descriptor that notes, "From The YouTube Description," or some such.

Appreciate you checking back on this.


intothegoodnight
 

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
I was not questioning the video - rather, the text content source - after going to the video URL, I see that this is from the YouTube description.

Thanks for these stories - noting as to where the text originated would have made things clearer - say, add a descriptor that notes, "From The YouTube Description," or some such.

Appreciate you checking back on this.


intothegoodnight
I can verify this reporting. It is on the July Africa page, post 6 . The source is AP.



 

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Hummm......

Posted for fair use.....

Elephant Die-Off May be Due to ‘Novel Disease,’ Botswana Says Bloomberg
Elephant Die-Off May be Due to ‘Novel Disease,’ Botswana Says


Antony Sguazzin
13 hrs ago

(Bloomberg) -- Botswana said a new pathogen may be responsible for the death of hundreds of elephants in the country with the world’s biggest population of the animals.

Results from samples taken from carcasses in north west Botswana are back from laboratories they were sent to in Zimbabwe and will be matched with results coming from South African laboratories and an announcement made next week, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Oduetse Koboto said at a press confernece. So far 281 carcasses have been found, according to the government. A non-profit organization

Initial test results in Botswana elminated known diseases that would cause mass deaths and this may signal “novel diseases,” the government said in a statement, according to state-owned television.

There are about 135,000 elephants in Botswana.
 

Oreally

Right from the start
Hummm......

Posted for fair use.....

Elephant Die-Off May be Due to ‘Novel Disease,’ Botswana Says Bloomberg
Elephant Die-Off May be Due to ‘Novel Disease,’ Botswana Says


Antony Sguazzin
13 hrs ago

(Bloomberg) -- Botswana said a new pathogen may be responsible for the death of hundreds of elephants in the country with the world’s biggest population of the animals.

Results from samples taken from carcasses in north west Botswana are back from laboratories they were sent to in Zimbabwe and will be matched with results coming from South African laboratories and an announcement made next week, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Oduetse Koboto said at a press confernece. So far 281 carcasses have been found, according to the government. A non-profit organization

Initial test results in Botswana elminated known diseases that would cause mass deaths and this may signal “novel diseases,” the government said in a statement, according to state-owned television.

There are about 135,000 elephants in Botswana.

i wonder if covid has jumped species?
 

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Is there any comparable area in the US that could have a large preserve type setup created to give these guys a chance somewhere else on Earth.
 

Pinecone

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The article said known diseases have been ruled out. Scary. I was wondering if Covid jumped species, too. I would think its not anthrax though, as the following article talks about a die off from anthrax in October 2019.


More than 100 elephants die in Botswana in suspected anthrax outbreak
ENVIRONMENT
OCTOBER 22, 2019 / 12:28 PM / 9 MONTHS AGO



GABORONE (Reuters) - More than 100 elephants have died in Botswana in the past two months partly because of a suspected anthrax outbreak, the government said on Tuesday.

“Preliminary investigations suggest the elephants are dying from anthrax whilst some died from drought effects,” a Department of Wildlife and National Parks statement said.

“Due to the severe drought, elephants end up ingesting soil while grazing and get exposed to the anthrax bacteria spore,” it said.

Elephants Without Borders said an aerial survey showed fresh elephant carcasses increased by 593% between 2014 to 2018, mostly from poaching and illegal hunting, with drought also a contributing factor.

The wildlife authority said the latest deaths were in the Chobe River front and Nantanga areas in northern Botswana, where 14 dead elephants were found this week. It said it would be burning the carcasses to prevent the anthrax infection from spreading to other animals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, anthrax is a bacteria found naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. Anthrax is not contagious and humans can only get infected by ingesting the bacteria. It can be prevented in animals via regular vaccination.

Botswana is home to almost a third of Africa’s elephants, around 130,000. Botswana has lifted a ban on big-game hunting to combat a growing conflict between humans and wildlife.

Botswana and its neighbors in southern Africa are experiencing a severe drought because of below-average rainfall since an El Nino weather system struck in 2015.

Reporting by Brian Benza, writing by Mfuneko Toyana; editing by Grant McCool
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
 

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
The article said known diseases have been ruled out. Scary. I was wondering if Covid jumped species, too. I would think its not anthrax though, as the following article talks about a die off from anthrax in October 2019.


More than 100 elephants die in Botswana in suspected anthrax outbreak
ENVIRONMENT
OCTOBER 22, 2019 / 12:28 PM / 9 MONTHS AGO



GABORONE (Reuters) - More than 100 elephants have died in Botswana in the past two months partly because of a suspected anthrax outbreak, the government said on Tuesday.

“Preliminary investigations suggest the elephants are dying from anthrax whilst some died from drought effects,” a Department of Wildlife and National Parks statement said.

“Due to the severe drought, elephants end up ingesting soil while grazing and get exposed to the anthrax bacteria spore,” it said.

Elephants Without Borders said an aerial survey showed fresh elephant carcasses increased by 593% between 2014 to 2018, mostly from poaching and illegal hunting, with drought also a contributing factor.

The wildlife authority said the latest deaths were in the Chobe River front and Nantanga areas in northern Botswana, where 14 dead elephants were found this week. It said it would be burning the carcasses to prevent the anthrax infection from spreading to other animals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, anthrax is a bacteria found naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. Anthrax is not contagious and humans can only get infected by ingesting the bacteria. It can be prevented in animals via regular vaccination.

Botswana is home to almost a third of Africa’s elephants, around 130,000. Botswana has lifted a ban on big-game hunting to combat a growing conflict between humans and wildlife.

Botswana and its neighbors in southern Africa are experiencing a severe drought because of below-average rainfall since an El Nino weather system struck in 2015.

Reporting by Brian Benza, writing by Mfuneko Toyana; editing by Grant McCool
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Yeah, that brings to mind that strain of "measles" that killed those horses and a horse trainer in Australia back in 1995.....
 

NoDandy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Such a sad, sad story !!!

I hope they can discover the real cause and prevent further deaths !!!
 

lonestar09

Veteran Member
Is there any comparable area in the US that could have a large preserve type setup created to give these guys a chance somewhere else on Earth.
The Hill country in Texas, there are ranches there that have game from Africa. Even have pictures somewhere.
 

PanBear

Veteran Member
we have to wait another 2 weeks for the results

Botswana gets first test results on elephant deaths
Botswana said it had received test results from samples sent to Zimbabwe to determine the cause of death of hundreds of elephants, but is waiting for more results from South Africa next week before sharing findings.

video 52 sec - July 10, 2020
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVCNtL9OI5Q
 

jward

passin' thru
Botswana authorities identify cause of mysterious elephant deaths

Officials say toxins produced by cyanobacteria in water were behind the death of more than 300 mammals.

The number of dead elephants rose to 330, from 281 when last reported in July [File: National Park Rescue via AFP]

The number of dead elephants rose to 330, from 281 when last reported in July [File: National Park Rescue via AFP]
21 Sep 2020

Officials in Botswana say the deaths of hundreds of elephants in recent months which baffled and alarmed conservationists in the country were caused by toxins produced by cyanobacteria in water.
The government in the landlocked Southern African country, home to a third of the continent’s declining elephant population, said in July it had launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths, collecting samples from the carcasses and mobilising personnel and aircraft to better understand the situation.

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“Our latest tests have detected cyanobacterial neurotoxins to be the cause of deaths. These are bacteria found in water,” Mmadi Reuben, principal veterinary officer at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, told a news conference on Monday.

“However we have many questions still to be answered such as why the elephants only [died] and why that area only,” he added. “We have a number of hypotheses we are investigating.”
Addressing the same news conference, Cyril Taolo, the department’s deputy director, said the number of dead elephants had risen to 330, from 281 last reported in July.

Botswana has the world’s largest elephant population, estimated at 130,000.
In neighbouring Zimbabwe, more than 20 elephant carcasses were discovered near its biggest game park in early September, authorities suspecting they succumbed to a bacterial infection.
85404c62c59246a2b7f1e9e05e3d206d_18.jpeg
The Southern African nation is home to the world’s largest elephant population [File: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP]
Source : Al Jazeera, News Agencies

posted for fair use
 

155 arty

Veteran Member
Hundreds of elephants found dead in Botswana
Inside Edition

The mysterious deaths of several hundred elephants in northern Botswana within a short period of time is raising deep concerns.

Question over these deaths remain unanswered several days after the publication of a report by the NGO Elephants Without Borders and its confirmation by Director of National Parks and Wildlife.

At least 275, carcasses have been found while the NGO reports a figure of 356 elephants.

"At this stage, it's difficult to really tell what could be the cause of the mortal…

video 1:40 min - July 3, 2020
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZf7TDETSBM




Mysterious deaths of over 400 elephants under investigation in Botswana
SCMP

An investigation is under way after hundreds of elephants in northern Botswana began dying of mysterious causes in early May 2020. Authorities say poaching has been ruled out because the animal carcasses were found intact. Conservation groups are looking into disease or poisoning as possible explanations.

video 1:11 min - July 3, 2020
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t7uCjzXL3M
Elephant killer : covid ele19
 

jward

passin' thru
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