The secret of the mass death of African elephants in Zimbabwe is revealed
In early August 2020, wildlife veterinarian Chris Foggin came across a mysterious death of elephants in Zimbabwe. At first, he found five elephant corpses with suspected anthrax. Eventually, 35 African elephants were found dead.
Attempts to determine the cause of this animal death were difficult, but scientists were able to establish the truth.
Read also: Scientists have revealed a strange trait of cats: "An indiscriminate killer lives in your yard"
The first conclusion about poaching, starvation, or anthrax was ruled out. A Botswana government agency also pointed to a cyanobacterial toxin as the cause of elephant deaths on its territory. Now, a new study by veterinarians from Zimbabwe has found another piece to the puzzle, published in Nature Communications.
A team of researchers led by veterinarian Chris Foggin found Pasteurella bacteria similar to the Bisgaard 45 strain, which was thought to be the culprit behind the deaths. This led scientists to believe that the cause of the elephants' deaths was hemorrhagic septicemia, or blood poisoning.
Bacterial colonies were found in the tissues and blood of the dead elephants, and the growth of Pasteurella bacteria, especially the Bisgaard 45 taxon, was found in one of the corpses. Samples of the taxon retain genetic and biochemical features, indicating its identity.
Read also: Scientists say what will happen to dogs if humans disappear
However, some aspects remain unknown, such as the source of the infection and how it is transmitted. Scientists are continuing to test for the Pasteurella bacterium and are looking at a variety of factors, such as stress and weather conditions, that could be linked to the elephants' deaths.
Earlier, a rare creepy shark that was pregnant washed up on a beach in the Philippines. The cause of the predator's death is unknown.
If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!