Effalumps dying in huge numbers in Bots.

[Alisoncc]

Hundreds of elephants found dead in Botswana

Mystery surrounds the "completely unprecedented" deaths of hundreds of elephants in Botswana over the last two months.

Dr Niall McCann said colleagues in the southern African country had spotted more than 350 elephant carcasses in the Okavango Delta since the start of May.

No one knows why the animals are dying, with lab results on samples still weeks away, according to the government.

Botswana is home to a third of Africa's declining elephant population.

Dr McCann, of the UK-based charity National Park Rescue, told the BBC local conservationists first alerted the government in early May, after they undertook a flight over the delta.

"They spotted 169 in a three-hour flight," he said. "To be able to see and count that many in a three-hour flight was extraordinary.

"A month later, further investigations identified many more carcasses, bringing the total to over 350."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53257512

Wots happening Ex-A?

[G-CPTN]

Dehydration? Starving?

[Alisoncc]

Doesn't seem likely. G-CPTN. Images seem to indicate both water and vegetation available.

effalumps.jpg (46.95 KiB) Viewed 649 times

[TheGreenGoblin]

Poisoned, perhaps, with the relevant tusks being paid as a bounty to offset a debt to the Chinese with brown envelopes to the local government officials?

No proof of that at all, of course...

Fecking tragedy whatever the case...

[Alisoncc]

Beeb article suggests not poaching as tusks still attached.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Beeb article suggests not poaching as tusks still attached.

At least it isn't human perfidy then Alisoncc unless the carcasses are ceded to the government and post mortem, those ivory appendages are severed, secreted and sent on their way.

Some sort of elephant virus... lack of water, environmental stress? Bots is emerging from an an awful drought.

[G-CPTN]

Some sort of elephant virus...

Elephant-itis

That water looked pretty fetid.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Some sort of elephant virus...

Elephant-itis

That water looked pretty fetid.

We will have to ask Ex-Ascot how bad the vlei is stinking...

I shouldn't smile, the whole thing is a fecking tragedy.

[PHXPhlyer]

Speaking of Ex-As. Haven't seen them around these parts today.
Hope all is well and no hippos or NRs are the cause of the absence of their presence.

PP

[EA01]

I once read years ago that there were too many and they were starving to death, but maybe it was propaganda to start shooting them again. As Alison notes, there appears to be vegetation around the one in the picture.
A bloom of 'toxic to Elephant plants' that only appear after times of extreme drought, and not known to the Elephants?? Is that a crazy thought?...I really don't know.

[Ex-Ascot]

We (Botswana) have no idea. Could be lack of food and water. As mentioned testing is taking place. It is not anthrax. They are not being poisoned by poachers. It is not their modus operandi. I am surprised a Dr Mike Chase, whom we know, has not made a statement. He is our elephant expert. We have been invited to go to stay with them and visit their elephant orphanage in Kasane. We will find out.

[Capetonian]

My first thought was Chinese + poaching but superior local knowledge and the fact that the tusks are not being removed seems to belie that theory. Whatever it is, it's a tragedy, although it may be nature's way of solving overpopulation.

[Ex-Ascot]

My first thought was Chinese + poaching but superior local knowledge and the fact that the tusks are not being removed seems to belie that theory. Whatever it is, it's a tragedy, although it may be nature's way of solving overpopulation.

Yes indeed Cape, as you know, we do have too many for the area. They cause a lot of damage to trees and agricultural.

[Alisoncc]

Whatever it is, it's a tragedy, although it may be nature's way of solving overpopulation.

Bit like Covid for 'umans.

[fareastdriver]

We had a similar problem in the Wankie area of Southern Rhodesia in the late 1950s; another drought and too little food for too many elephants. They were barging into native kraals and causing all sorts of mayhem. There followed a fairly severe cull, mainly of young bulls, which stabilised the situation.

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

It seems it may be a new disease killing the ellies; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... swana.html