[Taxacom] Botanists: is plant poisoning causing all the elephant deaths in Botswana?

[Kenneth Kinman]

Hi All,
      I've been reading the news reports on the hundreds of elephants dying of unknown causes in northern Botswana the past few months.   Although the cause is still a "mystery", two things in particular jumped out at me.   Most of those examined had "flabby hearts" and many were observed dragging their hind legs.
     This sounds very much like livestock, antelopes, horses, etc., dying from certain plant toxins.  Below is information (about the hind legs and flabby hearts) concerning poisoning from consuming Astragulus, and I wonder if there are any plants in Botswana which might produce similar toxins.
      Astragulus poisoning in cattle ( https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR678/welcome.html ):

Signs of Poisoning: “Cracker heels” is the common name for the symptoms resulting from consuming red-stemmed peavine. Typically, the disease starts after animals have been eating red-stemmed pea vine for a week or more. Common Signs of Poisoning include nervousness, emaciation, weakness, a depraved appetite, impaired vision, frequent urination,

and INCOORDINATION OF THE HIND LEGS that causes cattle to knock their heels together when walking (cracker heels). Morbidity is usually 10–15%.

In acute cases, signs may be limited to constipation and slight ataxia developing into a staggering walk, and then to recumbency and death in some animals. Death usually results from heart failure or respiratory paralysis. Sheep and horses exhibit signs similar to cattle, but their reactions are more acute. Common lesions include an enlarged, FLABBY HEART with thin walls, and congestion of the liver, spleen, lungs, and parts of the digestive tract.

                         ------------------Ken Kinman

P.S.  Would the kind of tests presumably being done on these dead elephants usually reveal these kinds of plant toxins?