Cause discovered Hundreds of elephants die in mysterious ways - now researchers warn

Hundreds of elephants died mysteriously in Botswana in 2020. Scientists have now discovered the cause and warn of possible future incidents.

In 2020, a mysterious mass death of over 350 elephants in the Okavango Delta in Botswana caused a worldwide sensation. The animals staggered, collapsed and eventually died in what experts described as a major conservation disaster. Now scientists may have found the cause of this mysterious event.

A recent study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, suggests that toxic blue-green algae blooms and cyanobacteria in the waterholes were responsible for the elephants' deaths. These toxic substances in the water, exacerbated by climate change, led to the death of the pachyderms. Davide Lomeo from King's College London emphasized in the "Guardian" that this incident highlights the growing threat of climate-related diseases.

The researchers analyzed satellite images to understand the distribution of the dead elephants. They found that water points with a high concentration of cyanobacteria blooms had a particularly high number of carcasses. For the elephants, these water sources were the only option, forcing them to drink the contaminated water, explained Lomeo.

Climatic influences and global parallels

The study warns of a worrying trend of sudden climate-related diseases. Similar incidents have been observed in Zimbabwe and Kazakhstan, where animals also died due to bacteria and climatic changes. The extreme weather conditions in 2019 and 2020, with a particularly dry year followed by a very wet one, led to an increase in sediment and nutrients in the water, which promoted algae growth.

Niall McCann from National Park Rescue described the results as a convincing explanation for the mass extinction that shook the world. Arnoud van Vliet from the University of Surrey confirmed that the study supports the theory that cyanotoxins in drinking water could have been the cause. Previously, other pathogens had also been considered as possible causes.

Researchers from various international institutions, including the University of Botswana and the Natural History Museum London, were involved in the comprehensive study.