At that time, no one knew the reason behind the deaths as the Botswana government had said that it hadn't tested any samples.
The mystery of the death of about 300 elephants a few months ago has been finally resolved. Termed as 'mysterious mass die-off', the deaths were reported in elephants of all ages and both sexes.
A Guardian report in May had said that a cluster of elephant deaths was first reported in the Okavango Delta, with 169 dead by the end of the month. By June, the number more than doubled. 70 per cent of the deaths were clustered around waterholes. The number of death now stands at 350, according to reports.
“This is a mass die-off on a level that hasn’t been seen in a very, very long time. Outside of drought, I don’t know of a die-off that has been this significant,” Guardian had quoted Dr Niall McCann, the director of conservation at UK-based charity National Park Rescue as saying.
At that time, no one knew the reason behind the deaths as the Botswana government had said that it hadn't tested any samples.
However, it has now been revealed that toxins in water produced by cyanobacteria killed the elephants, officials said, announcing the result of an investigation into the deaths which had baffled and alarmed conservationists.
Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms common in water and sometimes found in soil. Not all produce toxins but scientists say toxic ones are occurring more frequently as climate change drives up global temperatures.
Cyril Taolo, deputy director of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, told a news conference the number of elephant carcasses found since deaths were first reported around early May had risen to 330, from 281 in July.
“What we just know at this point is that it’s a toxin caused by cyanobacteria,” said Taolo, adding the specific type of neurotoxin had yet to be established.
Authorities will monitor the situation during the next rainy season, and Taolo said, for now, there was no evidence to suggest that Botswana’s wildlife was still under threat as officials were no longer seeing deaths.
The department’s principal veterinary officer Mmadi Reuben told the same news conference that questions remained as to why only elephants had been affected.
Other animals in the Okavango Panhandle region appeared unharmed.
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 "Dead elephants in Okavango Delta, Botswana")
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