Kenya: Fifteen elephants found dead of suspected pesticide poisoning

Fifteen elephants have been found dead over the past month in one of Kenya's best-known wildlife parks.

Kenya Wildlife Services says the deaths in Amboseli National Park were likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on tomato farms.

It said the fruit was found in the stomachs of several elephants from the same herd, which may have been attracted to unripe plants growing on nearby farms.

Analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound used in farming as a predator control poison.

It has also been used by poachers.

The agency’s director, Erustus Kanga, said it is a highly toxic chemical and that elephants cannot survive longer than a day or two after consuming it.

Ten of the elephants were found with signs of paralysis and died within two days, while the other five were already dead by the time they were discovered.

The incident has raised concerns about increasing farming activities in the area as elephants often stray onto nearby farmland in search of food and water.

Investigators said it was not yet clear whether the poisoning was accidental or deliberate. Wildlife officials are checking whether other farmers in the area use the same chemicals.

Amboseli is world-renowned for its herds of elephants and its savannah landscapes, with Mount Kilimanjaro visible across the border in Tanzania.