“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 agent was not identified. All animals were found with tusks intact, so poaching was immediately ruled out. In addition, as no scavenger species were found dead, purposeful poisoning from humans was also dismissed.”
You can read the rest of the article at the following link JEMA 2021v32i2.