Hundreds of dead elephants baffle scientists in Botswana. Is climate change responsible?

A plague of toxic cyanobacteria may be behind Botswana’s mysterious elephant die-off. Scientists are still investigating the deaths of around 300 elephants in Botswana this summer. Researchers first noticed the increase in deaths in May, prompting an examination of carcass, soil and water samples to determine the cause. Botswana’s deputy director of wildlife and national parks Cyril Taolo recently told reporters that although human involvement has not been ruled out entirely, evidence points towards toxin-producing cyanobacteria in the elephants’ water supply. This natural occurrence may have been exacerbated by climate…