Botswana says it has solved mystery of mass elephant die-off

Elephants may have ingested toxins produced by bacteria found in waterholesHundreds of elephants died in Botswana earlier this year from ingesting toxins produced by cyanobacteria, according to government officials who say they will be testing waterholes for algal blooms next rainy season to reduce the risk of another mass die-off.Themysterious death of 350 elephants in the Okavango delta between May and June baffled conservationists, withleading theories suggesting they were killed by a rodent virus known as EMC (encephalomyocarditis) or toxins from algal blooms.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Environment Animals World news Botswana Africa Conservation Zoology Biology Science Zimbabwe Source Type: news