With no evidence of poaching, the mystery of sudden mass elephant deaths deepened. As the death toll rose to an alarming 350, a theory started to surface. Could toxic algae blooming in the elephants’ watering holes be responsible?

Scientists from the United Kingdom are closing in on solving the mystery of the mass death of 350 elephants in Botswana in 2020. Satellite data analysis suggests that toxins from cyanobacteria and climate change are possible causes,

A study by King's College London reveals that toxic algal blooms, possibly intensified by climate change, caused the mysterious mass deaths of over 350 elephants in Botswana in 2020. The study used satellite data to correlate algae growth in waterholes with the regions where elephants died.

A study led by King's College London has provided further evidence that the deaths of 350 African elephants in Botswana during 2020 were the result of drinking from water holes where toxic algae populations had exploded due to climate change.

While cyanobacteria were among the suggested causes of the mass elephant deaths in 2020, evidence tying the microbes to the event was limited. Poaching, drought and infection by other bacteria were also suggested causes, but restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that investigation on the ground was limited.

“Botswana is home to a third of all African elephants ... especially during the period between May and June when the elephants were first spotted. Elephant bodies that were decayed were more scattered than those that had died later in the months-long ...