Botswana’s Mass Elephant Die-Off

“In March 2020, at the beginning of a global pandemic, elephant carcasses were found in the Ngamiland district of northern Botswana. Within three months from the initial report, helicopter-based surveys counted a total of 350 dead elephants. Carcasses of males and females were found by themselves with 70% near water. In some cases, it was as though the animal was walking and just collapsed. Locals would state that some elephants were observed walking in circles with extremely low body condition before death. Due to Covid-related travel restrictions, carcasses were not thoroughly examined, and tissue samples not collected; thus, a causative …

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Emerging Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife

Outbreaks of infectious disease make headlines around the globe almost daily.  Viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and parasites have the potential to affect both humans and animals alike.  A variety of infectious diseases can also be categorized as being zoonotic meaning they can be transmitted to other species.  As reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 million human deaths annually are the direct result of zoonotic pathogens.  As for domestic animals and wildlife, there is not an accurate number due to the under reporting of sickness in developing nations.  For our …

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