A groundbreaking discovery has been made regarding a previously unidentified bacterium found in the bodies of six African Savannah elephants that died under mysterious circumstances in Zimbabwe. According to scientists, this bacterium, known as Bisgaard taxon 45, caused septicaemia or blood poisoning that led to the demise of these animals in 2020. The study, which sheds light on the deaths of 356 elephants in neighboring Botswana, was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.
The incident in Botswana garnered international attention when conservationists uncovered the carcasses of these elephants in the Okavango Panhandle. Some of the animals seemed to have suddenly collapsed and died while in motion. In an effort to uncover the cause of these inexplicable deaths, researchers focused on the sudden demise of 35 elephants, primarily occurring between August and September 2020 in North-Western Zimbabwe.
Dr. Chris Foggin, a renowned wildlife veterinarian from the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, elaborated on the challenging nature of the investigation. The team had to deploy a helicopter to locate the elephant carcasses. Equipped with protective clothing to combat extreme heat, Dr. Foggin and his team conducted post-mortem examinations on 15 elephants. “Given their massive size,” Dr. Foggin stated, “gaining access to the required organs for sampling was a physically demanding task.”
Ultimately, the researchers confirmed that 13 of these elephants had septicaemia at the time of their demise. However, the discovery of the Bisgaard taxon 45 bacterium in six of these animals proved to be vital. It is worth noting that this bacterium has been previously identified in swabs taken from bites inflicted by tigers or lions, but not in African elephants.
Prof. Falko Steinbach from the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, who participated in the mission, discussed the potential link between severe drought, food scarcity, and compromised immune defenses in elephants. These factors create a conducive environment for the spread of the bacterium, leading to severe disease instead of just a local infection. Prof. Steinbach emphasized the social nature of elephants, raising concerns about possible transmission of the bacterium to other elephants, thus explaining the high number of deaths.
Laura Rosen, a representative from the US-based company Transboundary Epidemiology Analytics, expressed significant concern over this finding. African savannah elephants are an endangered species, with only 350,000 remaining in the wild. With ongoing losses estimated at 8% annually, investigating the cause of these deaths becomes crucial for the preservation of this majestic species.
Prof. Steinbach highlighted the need for further research to unravel the connection between this bacterium and the stress induced by extreme weather events like drought, which could potentially trigger outbreaks. He expressed hope that future studies might identify the causes of these outbreaks and potentially develop intervention strategies, including the possibility of a vaccine. However, this would require extensive further investigation.
