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Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) is investigating the death of 12 elephants whose carcasses were found in Pandamasue Forests, Matabeleland North on Friday and Saturday.

Most of the elephants are sub adults — five to six years old — and juveniles, less than 18 months old.

ZimParks has ruled out poaching and poisoning — their tusks are intact, suggesting that there was no ivory poaching. Besides, no other animal species has been affected, ruling out poisoning.

The majority were found with face-plants common on anthrax attacks but the wildlife authority has refused the temptation of assumptions.

They are waiting for laboratory results to establish the cause of death.

ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the developments.

“We found 12 elephants dead and we are still to establish the cause of death, 11 were found on Friday and the other one on Saturday.

“We are now conducting laboratory tests to establish the cause of death,” said Mr Farawo.

“We have ruled out poaching and poison. The Ivory was intact and whatever killed them has only affected elephants so we are also ruling out poison.

“Most of the elephants that have died are sub-adults and juveniles. You never know, it might be natural death, but we cannot say anything about the cause of death at this stage. We are waiting for results and we will publicise them when they are out,” said Mr Farawo.

Zimbabwe boasts the second largest population of elephants in the world after neighbours Botswana, with a population of around 84 000.

Botswana’s herd has also been affected by natural disasters, with an estimated 350 elephants dying in mass between May and August this year.

Aside from poaching, some causes of death for these animals are starvation or dehydration, toxins in the water, anthrax and poisoning — some bacteria and viruses can also evolve to be fatal.

There is also the encephalomyocarditis virus that is usually caused by the eating of contaminated grass.

This virus is believed to have killed several elephants in the early 1990s in Kruger National Park.