Abstract:
Reports of a mass die-off of ~350 elephants (Loxodonta
africana) in northern Botswana over a period
of two months (May–June 2020), has fuelled speculation
and concern regarding the cause. Although
the area in which these mortalities occurred is not
protected and is considered a hotspot for human–
elephant conflict and poaching, both malicious
poisoning and poaching are unlikely to have played
a role as other species were not affected, and
elephant carcasses were found with tusks intact.
In the absence of a confirmed cause we sought to
identify the lines of enquiry that are most likely to
lead to a definitive answer. In particular, we consider
viral and bacterial agents that could precipitate
species-specific mortalities on this scale, potential
environmental sources of poisoning and the
samples and tests that would assist in excluding/
confirming these candidate causes. Whilst it may be
argued that these mortalities are unlikely to negatively
impact the broader elephant population of
~130 000 individuals in Botswana, the same cannot
be said of the many vulnerable population pockets in
other parts of Africa. For this reason, it is essential
that the cause of the current die-off is identified as it
is the only way to prevent similar losses of susceptible
elephants elsewhere.
