365 Elephants Found Dead in an Unexpected Mystery

A team of conservationists from Elephants Without Borders (EWB) discovered a total of 365 dead elephants over the span of 2 flights on May 25th and June 3rd while flying over the Okavango Panhandle in Botswana. The cause of the mass deaths is a mystery since there is no tusk removal, ruling out the possibility of poaching.

“In Botswana, there is a huge crisis for elephants unfolding… The most important thing now is for an independent team to…sample multiple carcasses, the soil and waterways — and identify what is causing the deaths.” says Mark Hiley, Director of Rescue Operations at Britain-based NPO National Park Rescue.

The EWB researchers also observed some live elephants of all age groups who seemed disoriented (walking in circles) or ill (dragging hind legs, lethargic, emaciated). This is problematic since Botswana is considered a safe haven for 1/3rd of the population of savanna elephants.

While samples from carcasses were taken back in May, there is a major delay in results, but labs have ruled out anthrax, cyanide, and Covid-19. Other poisons that dissipate quickly could still be the culprit. Encephalomyocarditis is a leading candidate as a rodent-transmitted virus that causes neurological symptoms which killed 60 elephants in the mid-1990s in Kruger National park. The recent drought may have left them stressed and vulnerable to disease too. However, this is not being considered a conservational crisis due to the smaller numbers.

Stay tuned for updates on this case.