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. “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. 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.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
More Stories
Benin, where Innovation and Recycling Meet
The Women trying to Revolutionise Agriculture in West Africa
Nationalising Rabat’s State Entities
Data Collected from Space could Unlock $2 billion a Year in Benefits for Africa
China Set To Benefit Most From Declining US Interest In The MENA Region
Shaky Peace Deal Affects Juba’s Ability to Pump Oil
The Value of Green Industrialisation in South African Mines
Kenyan State Carrier on a Bold Plan to Recovery
Increasing Investment in Africa’s Large Real Estate Projects
Exciting Opportunities are Attracting Investors from across the Globe to Africa’s Fintech Space
Wellness Destinations in Africa to Get away from it All
Africa’s Missing Middle in Tech Funding