A bacterial infection causing elephants to suffer 'extremely sudden deaths' has killed another 12 of the animals in Zimbabwe - taking the total death toll from the outbreak to 34. The animals died between August 24 and September 23 this year in and around the wildlife-rich forests between the famous northwestern Hwange National Park and the town of Victoria Falls. A dead elephant is seen in Hwange National park, Zimbabwe on 29 August, 2020. Zimbabwe counts more than 84,000 elephants -- almost double the southern African country's ecological carrying capacity of between 45,000 and 50,000. Neighbouring Botswana, home to the world's largest elephant population of around 130,000, lost around 330 elephants early this year from cyanobacteria poisoning.

Source: Daily Mail September 29, 2020 09:14 UTC