GABORONE — Botswana's top wildlife vet on Friday dismissed accusations from some conservationists that the government had not moved quickly enough to investigate the unexplained deaths of least 275 elephants. Authorities said on Thursday they were still trying to find out what killed the elephants around two months after the first carcasses were spotted in the Okavango Panhandle region. Widely-published pictures of the bodies triggered an international outcry, and some campaign groups raised questions about why tests results had not come through. "A government investigating team has been on the ground since the first cases were reported," Mmadi Reuben, principal veterinary officer in the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, told Reuters. "Botswana responded swiftly."

Source: International New York Times July 03, 2020 18:22 UTC