Botswana’s Elephant Crisis: A Cyanobacteria-Driven Tragedy — Project Proposal.
<p>In the vast landscapes of Botswana, a silent crisis unfolds — one that challenges our understanding of nature’s balance. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54234396" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Officials from Botswana stumbled upon hundreds of carcasses near their Okavango Delta during the summer months.</a> After going on a brief helicopter exploration, officials returned with startling numbers. Although expecting to find a potential cause of death, maybe poachers, they found 169 dead elephants. Why were all the elephants in one area? Why were these already endangered creatures dying so rapidly?</p>
<p>The culprit wasn’t a predator, nor a disease in the traditional sense. It was something far more insidious, lurking where least expected. Local veterinary scientists identified an overgrowth of cyanobacteria, which produce neurotoxins, in the elephants’ drinking water. We commonly know this as blue-green algae.</p>
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