South African has joined Canada and neighbouring Zimbabwe to solve the mystery surrounding the deaths of over 300 elephants in Botswana’s Okavango Delta since February this year, APA learnt on Friday.
“We have had a report of 356 dead elephants in the area north of the Okavango Delta.
“We have confirmed 275 deaths so far,” Acting Director in the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks Cyril Taolo told the press.
The world renown Okavango Delta hosts some of the 130,000 elephants in that country – making it the largest elephant herd in the world.
According to a Botswana-based wildlife report on the incidents, the pachyderms were not victims of poaching as the tusks were found intact on the animals.
Taolo said the cause of the deaths was yet to be established.
“We do not suspect poaching since (the) animals were found with tusks,” he said.
However, the lovely and majestic animals are seen as a nuisance by some of the country’s farmers, whose crops have been destroyed by the elephants.
Photographic images of the dead giants show lots of dried blood surrounding the ground they fell on before they died.
The Okavango Delta alone is home to an estimated 15,000 elephants, and it’s one of the country’s biggest attraction for tourists.
Samples of the dead animals have been collected for analysis at labs in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Canada, according to a report on the deaths.
NM/as/APA