The Botswana government on Thursday reported the death of 55 white-backed vultures in the central region of the country due to suspected poisoning.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism said the dead vultures were discovered on October 22 near Boteti River in Rakops district.
“It is suspected that the vultures have died due to poisoning,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Department of Wildlife and National Parks, together with Birdlife Botswana and Raptors Botswana, were investigating the cause of the deaths, the official said.
The death of the vultures comes months after the country witnessed the mysterious deaths of 356 elephants in its northern region.
The deaths were later attributed to a naturally occurring toxin called cyanobacteria that is found in rivers.
JN/APA