Hundreds of elephants have mysteriously dropped dead in southern Africa during what experts have described as a ‘completely unprecedented’ event.
More than 350 elephant carcasses have been found in the Okavango Delta in Botswana since early May, with no apparent reason for the catastrophic die-off.
It will be several weeks before sample results are back and there is more certainty surrounding the deaths, according to the government.
Dr Niall McCann, a director of conservation with the UK-based charity National Park Rescue, said: “The reason it’s so extraordinary is in my experience I can’t think of a single precedent where this many elephants have died in such a short period of time for what is a completely unknown reason and that makes it all the more shocking."
The director of conservation with the organisation said airplanes have captured footage of a number of elephants dying “incredibly quickly”, while others are in a “confused manner with obvious motor function issues”.
He told RTE’s News at One: “This adds another degree of complexity to the situation because some of the elephants are dying incredibly quickly and are dropping directly onto their fronts, in the same way that they would as if they’d taken a shot to the brain.
“Whereas others are wandering around in a confused manner with obvious motor function issues.”
Dr McCann said the reaction suggests their neurological systems is being impacted and he suspects either a poison or a pathogen has caused the deaths.
He continued: “It’s hard to rule out either one at this stage.
“Even if it is a poison, it might be a natural occurring one.
“But it might also have been laid by poachers.”
One-third of Africa’s plummeting elephant population can be found in Botswana.
Dr McCann said there could be 800 tusks “lying out there”, which he stressed would be seen as very valuable to organised criminal gangs.
“Some are dying instantly, whereas others are dying a more prolonged and greatly suffering death.”
Dr McCann suspects the number of fatalities may be more than 400 as the airplanes can find it very difficult to count the elephant population from the air.
The spate of elephant deaths were first reported in May when 12 lifeless bodies were found within a week in two nearby northwestern villages.
The latest alarming discoveries of the carcasses were found by Elephants Without Borders (EWB).
Experts believe it will take two-to-three weeks before the test results, which have been sent to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Canada, are available.
