Researchers are analyzing the threat and hope to see results in the coming weeks.
About 400 elephants were found, mysteriously, lifeless in Botswana. After some analysis, a group of researchers suspect it is a deadly virus.
More than 350 elephants died in northern Botswana in a mysterious massacre described as a “conservation disaster”. If 169 deaths had been recorded at the beginning of May for no apparent reason, by mid-June the number had already doubled.
There are reports of the moments that precede the death of the animals: they looked confused, wandering in circles and falling on their faces before their death. Scientists believe it could be a new virus.
The canary can become even darker. At the moment, the possibility of the virus being transmissible to humans is being studied.
“The worst case scenario can turn into something even worse. It is very important to understand whether this can be passed on to people. Yes, it is an [animal] conservation disaster but it has the potential to become a case of a public health crisis, ”says Niall McCann, director of the Conservation department of the Rescue Natural Park.
