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Satellites find likely cause of mysterious African elephant deaths in 2020

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Over 300 African elephants died in early 2020 , one of the largest mass mortality events of wild mammals in recent history.

The mass death occurred over the course of three months in Botswana 's Okavango Delta .

A fresh analysis of satellite data shows cyanobacteria blooms had exploded to unprecedented levels during an unusually rainy season.

When the elephants drank from these contaminated waterholes, they would have ingested lethal doses of cyanotoxins.

Toxin-producing strains of cyanobacteria have been observed on the African continent, but the toxins themselves are not detectable from space.

The findings raise broader concerns about the impact of climate change on Africa 's wildlife, particularly as southern Africa is projected to become hotter and drier in the coming decades .