36 dead elephants found in Botswana, animals possibly poisoned

A total of 36 dead elephants have been found in the north of Botswana. They died for unknown reasons. It is suspected that the animals have been poisoned.

Up to and including Saturday, 22 carcasses were found, and another 14 were added on Sunday. That reports Botswana Safari News.

Earlier, the Ministry of the Environment in Botswana expressed the suspicion that the elephants were poisoned with anthrax. But vets have now ruled out that and are investigating the possible cause of death.

The current president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, suspended the hunting ban on elephants last year but believes that animals cause damage to the harvest. His predecessor Ian Khama introduced the ban in 2014.

The country in southern Africa has the largest elephant population in the world. Currently, more than 130,000 elephants live in Botswana, about one per eighteen inhabitants.

The local population has been called upon not to eat the meat of the elephants as the animals are believed to have been poisoned.