• by IPS Correspondents (harare)
• Saturday, December 24, 1994
• Inter Press Service

HARARE, Dic 24 (IPS) - A MYSTERIOUS DISEASE WHICH CAUSES PARALYSIS IN ELEPHANTS IS BAFFLING ENVIRONMENTALISTS HERE.

ALTHOUGH FLACCID TRUNK PARALYSIS (FTP) WAS DISCOVERED A FEW YEARS AGO IN NORTHERN ZIMBABWE, SCIENTISTS STILL DO NOT KNOW ITS CAUSES.

"WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE TOXIN THAT COULD BE CAUSING THE TRUNK PARALYSIS PROBLEM," SAYS UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE VETERINARY EXPERT NANCY KOCK, WHO IS WORKING ON THE DISEASE.

SHE HAS CARRIED OUT TESTS FOR HEAVY METALS AND CHEMICALS IN THE VEGETATION ELEPHANTS EAT, BUT LEVELS OF TOXICITY ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO HAVE CAUSED THE SYNDROME.

EXPLANATIONS FOR THE CAUSE OF THE DISEASE HAVE VARIED FROM LEAD POISONING, POLLUTANTS EMITTED BY MOTOR BOATS AND DUMPED TOXIC MATERIAL FROM TOURISTS SWARMING THE AREA.

KOCK SAYS TESTS CARRIED OUT ON SUSPECTED CAUSES SO FAR HAVE NOT PRODUCED POSITIVE RESULTS. "NONE OF THEM WAS CONSIDERED TO BE OF TOXIC LEVEL."

BUT THERE IS AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TOXINS AND KOCK IS NOW CARRYING OUT TESTS ON A PLANT TOXIN CAUSING PROBLEMS IN HORSES WHICH COULD ALSO AFFECT ELEPHANTS.

AT PRESENT THE INVESTIGATION REMAINS "A GUESSING GAME", SAYS GREEN GROUP ENVIRONMENT 2000 IN ITS PUBLICATION, 'GREENLINE'.

"THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN RULED OUT, MEANING THAT THE CAUSE OF THE TRUNK PARALYSIS COULD BE ESTABLISHED SOON," SAYS ENVIRONMENT 2000.

THE NUMBER OF AFFECTED ELEPHANTS IS STILL UNKNOWN AND THE DISEASE IS SPREADING IN THE ZAMBEZI VALLEY, AN ESCARPMENT ON THE BORDER WITH ZAMBIA POPULAR FOR ITS HUGE ELEPHANT POPULATION.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 80,000 ELEPHANTS IN ZIMBABWE, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.

AND THE ELEPHANT POPULATION IS GROWING AT ABOUT FIVE PERCENT ANNUALLY. HOWEVER, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS THE COUNTRY CAN SUPPORT IS 55,000.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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