Botswana Investigates Mystery Deaths of At Least 275 Elephants
GABORONE - Botswana is investigating a growing number of unexplained
deaths of elephants, having confirmed 275 had died, up from 154 two
weeks ago, the government said Thursday.
The dead elephants were first spotted months ago in the Okavango
Panhandle region, and the authorities say they have since been trying to
discover the cause. Poaching has been ruled out as the cause of death,
as the carcasses were found intact.
"Three laboratories in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Canada have been identified to process the samples taken from the dead elephants," the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism said in a statement.
In a report prepared for the government and seen by Reuters,
Elephants Without Borders (EWB), a conservation organization, said that
its aerial surveys showed that elephants of all ages appeared to be
dying. The group counted 169 dead elephants on May 25, and another 187
on June 14, according to the report.
The directors of EWB did not immediately respond to phone calls or text messages seeking comment on the report.
"Several live elephants that we observed appeared to be weak,
lethargic and emaciated. Some elephants appeared disorientated, had
difficulty walking, showed signs of partial paralysis or a limp," the
report said.
"One elephant was observed walking in circles, unable to change direction although being encouraged by other herd members."
The report said urgent action was needed to establish if the deaths were caused by disease or poisoning.
Africa's overall elephant population is declining due to poaching,
but Botswana, home to almost a third of the continent's elephants, has
seen numbers grow to 130,000 from 80,000 in the late 1990s.
However, they are seen as a nuisance by some farmers, whose crops have been destroyed.
AFEEF:
Hadhwanaagnews marnaba masuul kama aha Aragtida dadka kale. Qoraaga ayaa xumaanteeda, xushmadeeda iyo xilkeeda sida. waxa kaliya oo Hadhwanaagmedia dhiirigalinaysaa, isdhaafsiga aragtida, canaanta gacaliyo talo wadaagga!