Wednesday, 08 July 2020

Dead pachyderm

The news from the South African state is alarming. Hundreds of dead elephants have now been found.

What's happening at the northern tip of the Okavango?

The carcasses of the animals, some of which died miserably, were found near a waterhole in Seronga. According to observations by animal welfare activists and gamekeepers, the animals seemed disoriented and lethargic before they died. This time the infectious disease anthrax is eliminated, not as found in contaminated soil some time ago. As the Mmengi reports, after questioning the inhabitants of the surrounding settlements, a human element was identified as the trace of the cause. 

Even if the government in the distant capital Gaborone still excludes the participation of poachers, it could be the preparation of a monstrous act. Ivory is always in high demand, and the pachyderms are also downright slaughtered as meat suppliers for the partly poor population in the northern territories. 

Mr Oaitse Nawa has been quoted in numerous media, and he is a mouthful when it comes to the elephant population in Africa. He said that water holes where elephants drink might have been poisoned. He also believes that poachers in Africa are capable of anything. It should be mentioned that the animals still (!) had the tusks except for a few. 

Quote from Oaitse Nawa on allafrica.com:
He was suspicious that the poachers could have sent scavengers that went around collecting tusks of dead elephants to poison the water sources.

Mysterious

A few days ago, according to the Mmengi, four poachers were shot who were hunting for rhinos. Others escaped the Botswana Defence Force (BDF). 

Now carcasses were also found in Eretsha near a waterhole. In Gaborone, it was circulated that Covid-19 is said to have jumped over to the elephant. This cause is almost impossible. So the search for the reason continues. Meanwhile, samples have been sent abroad, with the help of which the cause is to be identified. 

We will continue to report.