Study Confirms Climate-Linked Toxic Algae Caused Botswana Elephant Die-Off

Satellite analysis identifies toxic algal blooms as the likely cause of 350 elephant deaths in 2020, highlighting climate change's impact on wildlife and ecosystems.

A new study links the 2020 deaths of 350 African elephants in Botswana's Okavango Delta to toxic blooms of blue-green algae in waterholes.
Researchers used satellite data and spatial analysis to identify elevated algal levels in waterholes near elephant carcasses during the die-off period.
The study suggests that extreme weather swings, including a very dry 2019 followed by a wet 2020, triggered unprecedented algal growth by resuspending nutrients in waterholes.
Elephants were estimated to have died within 88 hours of drinking from contaminated waterholes, with carcasses found up to 16.5 km away.
The findings underscore the need for enhanced water quality monitoring as climate change increases the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms in southern Africa.