'Mysterious' bacterium found in the bodies of animals that died suddenly in 2020.
A type of bacterium never seen before in wild elephants has been found in the bodies of six African Savannah elephants that died in mysterious circumstances in Zimbabwe.
The researchers managed to confirm that 13 of the elephants had septicaemia when they died. Crucially they found a potential cause - a bacterium called Bisgaard taxon 45 - in six of the animals. It is a type that has been found previously in swabs taken from tiger or lion bites. The scientist said he suspected that the elephants were under "severe stress" because of the ongoing drought and difficulty finding food.
Laura Rosen from US-based company Transboundary Epidemiology Analytics, said the finding was "very worrying".