In northwestern Botswana, Africa, more than 300 elephants have been found to have died bizarrely, and according to local researchers, the sudden deaths of these elephants may have been caused by infectious diseases. When it comes to infectious diseases, isn't the new coronavirus that has the biggest impact at present? This virus belongs to a type of coronavirus, first isolated from chickens and transmitted mainly through the respiratory tract. At present, a variety of animals have been found to be infected with the new crown, so will the culprit that caused the death of the elephant also be the new crown?
Unprecedented, why did elephants die mysteriously?
According to well-known British media reports, in botswana, a country in southern Africa, hundreds of elephants have recently died "mysteriously". The earliest discovery was at the end of May, when 169 elephants were found dead in a wildlife habitat, and the number of deaths continues to grow, reaching more than 350 so far. Among the dead elephants, both male and female elephants, covering all ages, 70% died near the water source.
Some of them die suddenly on the ground, while others slowly die after waddling in place and spinning around a few times. And according to the researchers, in the future, the number of elephant deaths will continue to increase, which is undoubtedly a terrible disaster for the protection of elephants. In addition, a British expert on animal protection said that such a large-scale elephant death is unprecedented. Why do they die? This has sparked extensive discussion.
Experts believe that one clue is obvious: most of the elephants died near the water source. It was also noted that some of the elephants' carcasses would sink into the water, and that these carcasses would have fewer scavengers than normal. This shows that these elephants did not die as a result of natural phenomena. In addition, elephants circled in place before they died, most likely due to damage to their nervous systems. So it has been suggested that perhaps elephants are infected with the new coronavirus. However, regarding the claim that elephants died of the new crown virus, experts believe that it is unlikely, so what is the reason?
The truth about the death of an elephant
Just months after the deaths of more than 350 elephants, Botswana announced that they had learned the cause of the deaths. At a news conference, the country's wildlife ministry's chief veterinary officer said the cause of the elephants' mass deaths was natural environmental toxins. More precisely, it is a neurotoxin called cyanobacteria, which is produced from unique algae. But at the same time, he also pointed out that there are still many questions that need to be solved, such as why only elephants are dying, and why deaths are concentrated in one area.
But some foreign experts remain skeptical of Botswana's public response. A biochemist in Wyoming said the incident needed more investigation. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, should be further investigated into whether these algae were actually present in the area where the elephants died, and an autopsy of the elephants and tests for water sources in the area should be done to determine what killed the elephants. If it's really cyanobacteria, that's still complicated.
Because this organism produces various neurotoxins, it has led to the death of many animals, including cattle in the United States. So to study this toxin more deeply, it's best to do biochemical testing on elephants and the area so you can really figure out what's going on. If the algae did kill the elephants, it would be impossible not to kill other local animals, but the fact is that no other dead animal species have been found nearby, only elephants, which suggests that the truth needs to be further explored.
Expert: It may threaten human health
For now, elephants may of course have died due to toxins produced by cyanobacteria, but it is uncertain that the Botswana government has not yet been able to give a satisfactory explanation, so it has been widely criticized. Some biological experts said that since it is impossible to determine whether the culprit is really cyanobacteria, and considering the possibility of virus transmission, this strange phenomenon is likely to threaten human health, and not determining the cause of death of elephants as soon as possible may cause serious consequences.
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