100s of Botswana elephants die from uninvestigated ‘mystery’

“The NGO Global March for Elephants and Rhinos noted that it was also vital for the carcasses to be guarded, that the tusks remain intact and that forensically viable blood, tissue and organ samples were in fact obtained. It was also important to know when they were obtained and where they are now.” Daily Maverick.

Hundreds of elephants died in the Okavango region between 2019-2020 from “mysterious” causes; while the causal factors remain undetermined, experts suspect a toxic algae bloom contaminating waterholes frequented by elephants; the blue-green algae bloom, called a cyanobacteria bloom is known to thrive in warmer waters, and is hence exacerbated by climate change.

ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil and gas exploration company has recently begun the 2nd stage of its seismic survey in the Okavango Delta, searching for oil and gas within a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the blessing of the Namibian government.

There’s a profound irony here; here we are with hundreds of elephants dying from an algae bloom caused by climate change and a few kilometers away ReconAfrica want to start drilling for yet more oil?

Source: GMFER | Daily Maverick
Image Credit: Elephants Without Borders