More than 350 elephants have mysteriously
died in northern Botswana over the past two months, which scientists describe
as a "conservation disaster." Botswanans view the loss as a blow to
the national tourism economy and in many places, a loss to the community.
"It's the biggest thing that's happened
to elephants in a very, very long time," Dr Niall McCann, co-founder of
UK-based charity National Park Rescue, told ABC News. "Outside of droughts
in the 1970s I don't know of a die-off that has been this significant."
The government of Botswana is investigating.
"To date we have verified 275 carcasses of the 356 that have been reported
so far in the area north of the Okavango Delta," said Dr. Mmadi Reuben,
the head veterinarian of the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National
Parks. The killer could be a natural pathogen, or poison, Dr. Rubean told ABC
News, but, "Poaching has been ruled out as the carcasses were found
intact."
"Anthrax has also been ruled out by the
lab in the country," he said, when contacted by phone by ABC News.
