Interesting cause...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world...zX0e_H5AEcWdkjLY2bqw

Thank you JDollar.

Now that we know is there anything that can be done about it. Is this nature trying to balance?

Sounds reasonable.
Thanks for the report.

Explains a lot. Fortunately it appears the problem is contained and has not spread. But strange it only hit the elephant.

Why someone didn't test the water is a little strange, but maybe they did and didn't report it.

These same blue-green algae blooms happen in the US and kill ranch stock. As O1 states...what doesn’t make sense is why only ele?

I have heard from the HeymUSA guys that in Botswana there is not hardly any other game left in the heavy elephant destruction zones of the country.

The lack of biodiversity created by the over population and habitat destruction of elephant may explain why we did not see reports of die offs of other groups.

I remember someone posting on the main thread that a person in South Africa monitoring the situation, I think S. Africa, made this hypothesis of alge toxin.

Good observation Josh.

Surprised that it took so long to work it out. Blue Green algae is relatively common in Australia and is easy to spot. We often see massive fish kills in stagnant waterways. Farmers sometimes dump hay into their dams to overcome the problem. Simazine works pretty well on algae as well.

Going on right now in Utah in some places. The warning is to not swim in those areas, keep livestock and other animals and pets from getting into the water or drinking it, and any fish that is caught is supposed to be cleaned and all entrails thrown out in the water and the fish thoroughly washed with clean water. There are places in Utah where over the past few years where it has returned every summer and it shuts down whole bodies of water down from any activity for weeks or months. Nasty stuff.

The gulf has red algae blooms frequently.
Lack of biodiversity was mentioned about why it only effected elephants. I would say that had an effect but the quantity of water an elephant can drink at one time probally had a lot to do with it.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
These same blue-green algae blooms happen in the US and kill ranch stock. As O1 states...what doesn’t make sense is why only ele?

This article points to the volume that Elephants drink as being a contributing factor as well. It also mentions that Zim may be having the start of a problem.