International organisations looked into the mysterious deaths of 35 African elephants in Zimbabwe and discovered a possible connection to a bacteria known as Bisgaard taxon 45, which is linked to fatal septicemia. This finding highlights the increasing dangers to African elephants, a species that is already endangered, and highlights the need for more investigation into the reasons behind these deaths in order to protect the future of the species.
Six African elephants have died in Zimbabwe, and there may be more deaths in neighbouring countries due to a bacterium connected to severe septicemia. The African elephant is a species whose numbers are still in danger, and this discovery adds infectious diseases to the expanding list of problems facing the species.
Details of the Study : African elephants
Researchers from the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, the Animal and Plant Health Agency UK, the University of Surrey, and labs in South Africa examined the unexplained deaths of 35 elephants in a 40 x 25 km radius in North-Western Zimbabwe, primarily between August and September 2020, during this exceptional study. Following the nearly 350 elephant deaths in neighbouring northern Botswana in May and June of 2020, which raised significant worldwide attention, came this occurrence.
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African elephants
Only 350,000 ezoic African savanna elephants survive in the wild, and losses are projected to be eight percent a year. These elephants are considered an endangered species. Elephants are already on the red list maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, so this finding is quite concerning. It is essential to look into these elephants’ deaths in order to maintain the future of this majestic species.
Challenges Faced
African elephants
Lead Investigator, Dr Chris Foggin a Wildlife Veterinarian at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, said;
“Investigating this mortality in the wildlife areas in north-west Zimbabwe proved challenging. Identifying and then reaching the carcasses in time to obtain useful samples is one problem we often face in this type of work.
“However, we also didn’t know what disease we may be dealing with, although we initially suspected that it could be anthrax, which is known to occur in the area; or possibly some other disease that might pose a risk to human health. We therefore had to be cautious when undertaking the post-mortem examinations on elephant which, in itself, is a difficult task with such a big animal, especially working in field conditions.”
Findings and Implications
There were several of these postmortem analyses conducted. The fact that all the dead elephants had their tusks intact rapidly eliminated poaching. investigations of toxicology, including rapid testing for cyanide, which is occasionally used to kill elephants in Zimbabwe, and more advanced investigations carried out in the UK, revealed no evidence of poisons in the carcasses or at a waterhole near several of the bodies.
After more investigation, scientists and veterinarians discovered that six elephants had septicaemic infections brought on by an unidentified bacterial species from the Pasteurellaceae family, tentatively called Bisgaard taxon 45. Genetic analysis and bacterial isolation were used to corroborate this. A small number of samples were appropriate for these kinds of analyses. Elephant deaths were not thought to be related to pasteurella bacteria before this study, despite the fact that the infection has been linked to the unexpected deaths of other wild animals like antelope.
APHA Head of Virology Professor Falko Steinbach said :
“The identification of this bacterium is a significant step forward in learning more about why these elephants died, and I was pleased to be part of the team at APHA that could corroborate these important findings.
“Transmission of the bacteria is possible, especially given the highly sociable nature of elephants and the link between this infection and the stress associated with extreme weather events such as drought, which may make outbreaks more likely.
“Further research is needed to learn more about the bacteria and its long-term implications for the African elephant population and other wildlife.”
Dr Arnoud van Vliet, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:
Our study team’s multinational makeup emphasises the prospects for conservation studies into illness and death in free-ranging animals. Elephant conservation is facing an increasing number of disease-related risks, and Bisgaard taxon 45 is now linked to bacterial septicemia, something that has never been the case before.
Reference: “Pasteurella sp. associated with fatal septicaemia in six African elephants” by Chris M. Foggin, Laura E. Rosen, Marijke M. Henton, Angela Buys, Toby Floyd, Andrew D. Turner, Jonathan Tarbin, Antony S. Lloyd, Columbas Chaitezvi, Richard J. Ellis, Helen C. Roberts, Akbar Dastjerdi, Alejandro Nunez, Arnoud H. M. van Vliet and Falko Steinbach, 25 October 2023, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41987-z
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