Ecological Tragedy: What Killed Over 300 Elephants in Botswana? | The NY Journal

During this year, the death of hundreds of pachyderms around the river Okavango, intrigued environmentalists and the authorities of Botswana. Finally, the researchers found the “Guilty” of the ecological tragedy that killed more than 300 elephants.

The proliferation of toxins in the water produced by cyanobacteria caused the death of these large animals and, according to the authorities’ explanation, the cause of toxicity is climate changeAs global temperatures increase, cyanobacteria cause poisoning.

According to a Reuters report, the government of Botswana carried out the relevant investigations by finding, since last May, Hundreds of elephant carcasses in the region with no signs of violence and with intact tusks, so poaching was ruled out. The result of months of studies indicates that cyanobacteria caused the poisoning of the specimens, although it is still unknown why other species seem not to have been affected.

Cyanobacteria are a type of bacteria that can photosynthesize. They arise in the water and, under certain conditions, they can produce dangerous toxins for marine and terrestrial fauna, even for man. The increase in temperatures, which are increasing twice the world average in that region, is one of the explanations.

“It’s about having the right conditions, at the right time, in the right place and these species (of bacteria) will proliferate. These conditions are gathering more often, in more places, so we’re seeing more of these toxic blooms around the world.“He told Reuters Patricia glibert, professor at the Center for Environmental Sciences at the University of Maryland.

Botswana is the country in the world with the largest population of elephants, with an estimated 125,000 specimens.