One hundred elephants died in Botswana. What was the cause of death?

Officials in Botswana currently say that the country’s elephants have died from toxins in the water produced by cyanobacteria. Since March this year, more than 300 elephants have died in Botswana. It was investigated that the death was caused by cyanobacteria in the water. Cyanotoxins were detected in samples sent to the laboratory. And some witnesses reported that some elephants walked in circles repeatedly when they died. This may be due to nerve damage in the elephant's brain. From this, relevant local personnel concluded that it was cyanobacterial neurotoxins that caused the collective death of elephants.

Cyanobacteria are widely distributed and grow in about 75% of fresh water around the world. There are about 2,000 species of cyanobacteria in the world, and about 900 have been recorded in China. The main harm caused by blue-green algae to water bodies is that in nutrient-rich water bodies, blue-green algae will multiply in large numbers and then produce a green tide on the surface of the water. Green tides can cause deterioration of water quality and consume oxygen in water bodies. And some cyanobacteria produce toxins, which can have varying degrees of impact on humans and animals. There are cyanotoxins inside some cyanobacteria. The toxins can be divided into hepatotoxins and neurotoxins according to the different ways of harming them. This time, it is the neurotoxins produced by some cyanobacteria that harm the elephants in Botswana.

Cyanobacteria that produce toxins are actually not common, but in recent years, as global climate change has driven up global temperatures, toxic cyanobacteria have become more common. Rising global temperatures have brought various problems to humans and animals, but it is undeniable that a large part of global warming is caused by humans. The massive emissions of greenhouse gases have caused the earth's temperature to continue to rise, bringing with it a series of problems. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, extreme weather is becoming more frequent, and more. Eventually, animals will die due to the impact.

We cannot let animals pay for human faults again and again. The earth is our only home, and it is urgent to care for the environment. Maybe as long as we make a small change in our lives, the incident in Botswana will not happen, and they can live leisurely on the earth.