Would be interesting to do a PM. Obviously there are a few locals disgruntled with the high elephant numbers. Poisoning?

Starvation? Disease from overpopulation? Lots of questions, no answers.

Corona Virus?

The article notes that the first testing of the carcasses will be for anthrax. If that is the cause, it could very well be from overpopulation, or at least over-concentration. That would seem to validate the Botswana President's push to re-open hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
The article notes that the first testing of the carcasses will be for anthrax. If that is the cause, it could very well be from overpopulation, or at least over-concentration. That would seem to validate the Botswana President's push to re-open hunting.

As a dirt born pathogen, that would hold some merit.

Anthrax seems to have a long life. They have been fighting it on South Texas and SE NM ranches forever.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
Anthrax seems to have a long life. They have been fighting it on South Texas and SE NM ranches forever.

Anthrax was trialled as a biological weapon during WW2 on Gruinard Island in Wester Ross here in Scotland.

Took until the 1980's to get rid of it - and hundreds of BCUs of formaldehyde - nobody admitted to that but I saw them.

Nasty - I'm sure it would take out an ele.

Mystery as 110 elephants are found dead in Botswana

By Harry Howard For Mailonline at 4:11 PM UTC on 01 June 2020

54 elephants were found dead at the end of May on Botswana's Okavongo Delta

A further 12 were found earlier in May, with 44 discovered in March 

Wildlife director Dimakatso Ntshebe said there were no signs of poaching

Tests reportedly confirmed that they had not been poisoned either 

Wildlife officials in Botswana have dismissed poaching and poisoning as reasons for the deaths of 110 elephants since March.

Authorities in the country, which has the largest population of elephants in the world, continue to search for a reason for the deaths. 

Fifty-four elephants were found dead at the end of May on the Okavongo Delta, less than two weeks after 12 were found. 

It adds to 44 which were discovered in March, officials said.

Dimakatso Ntshebe, a regional wildlife director for the Botswanan government, told Bloomberg News: 'I would say 90% of the new cases we have found are old carcasses we previously did not locate.'  

'However, a few are indeed new deaths. All recovered carcasses do not show signs of poaching.'

The carcasses have reportedly tested negative for anthrax, according to local media outlet Botswana Safari News.

And after the bodies of 12 elephants were found in May, Mr Ntshebe said it was 'very unlikely' the animals had been poisoned. 

'If it was poisoning, some scavengers who were feeding on elephant carcasses could have died but that was not the case,' he added. 
 
However, efforts to find out the cause of death have been hampered by travel restrictions imposed in an attempt to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. 

It means that the sending of samples for testing have been delayed.

There are an estimated 135,000 elephants in Botswana. They have become a political issue because they have damaged crops and trampled villagers in the past.

Last year, the country's president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, lifted a ban on hunting elephants. 

And in February, a major auction for big game hunters to kill 70 elephants was held, the first since the hunting ban was scrapped.

The sale was conducted by a local firm Auction It from the premises of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism in the capital Gaborone.

Masisi fended off criticism of his government's decision to lift the hunting ban, saying the move would not threaten the elephant population.