Floppy trunk syndrome was initially observed in 1989 on Fothergill Island, in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe, near Lake Kariba.
[2] However, despite these learned adaptations, affected elephants were observed as emaciated, suffering from muscle atrophy and a lack of visceral fat.
[3] FTS has been observed in the northwest of Zimbabwe,[4] the Satara area of Kruger National Park, and Fothergill in Lake Kariba.
[3][5] Over thirty elephants were observed to be afflicted with this paralysis, including at least eight in Kruger National Park and twelve cases near Fothergill Island.
[3] In Gonarezhou National Park in south eastern Zimbabwe, several cases of FTS have been reported since 2013 (approximately half a dozen individuals) all of which were elephant bulls.
[6] It is theorized that elephants are being forced to consume toxic vegetation due to changes in weather patterns and to the natural ecology of their habitats.