Fifteen elephants have died over the past month in Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, near the Tanzanian border. This represents a record number of elephant deaths for the area in decades.
The Kenya Wildlife Service reports that preliminary laboratory tests on the carcasses detected traces of cyanide. Authorities suspect the animals were poisoned after eating tomatoes contaminated with the toxic chemical from farms bordering the park. Cyanide is used as a pest fumigant and predator control poison in farming, and is also used by poachers.
Investigations revealed that ten of the elephants exhibited signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days. While it remains unclear whether the poisoning was accidental or deliberate, reports indicate that foul play has been ruled out.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga warned that the contamination could have wider consequences for local livestock, including cattle and goats that graze in the same fields. Wildlife authorities clarified that the toxic substances found in the elephants pose no immediate threat to human health.