Botswana rules out bacteria in latest elephant deaths

 

 
Botswana's environment ministry says it identified 39 more elephant carcasses since January as it investigated the unexplained deaths of elephants in the country. The latest deaths in the Moremi Game Reserve add to the 330 deaths reported last year between May and June in the country's Okavango Delta. The ministry on Wednesday said its preliminary investigations had ruled out anthrax and bacterial infections as the cause of death.
It also ruled out poaching, saying further investigations on the deaths and surveillance were ongoing. It said extensive air and field investigations did not uncover any death of other wildlife species.
The hundreds of deaths last year were attributed to the ingestion by the animals of toxins that can occur naturally in standing water.
The toxins, made by microscopic algae in water, are known as cyanobateria.
Botswana is home to a third of Africa's declining elephant population.