Fifteen elephants found dead in southern Kenya outside Amboseli National Park are suspected to have been poisoned after eating tomatoes sprayed with pesticides on nearby farms. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said preliminary laboratory tests found cyanide in samples taken from the animals' carcasses.
Ten of the elephants had been found with signs of paralysis and then died within two days, while the other five were already dead when they were discovered. Investigations are continuing, but wildlife officials have said for the time being that foul play has been ruled out.
Seeking to reassure the public, wildlife authorities told local media the toxic substances eaten by the elephants pose no immediate risk to humans.
This incident has raised concerns about expanding farming activities near the park, as elephants often stray on to farmland in search of food and water. The park and its surrounds are known as the Amboseli ecosystem, a vast area that straddles the border with Tanzania and is famous for its wildlife.
Officials said this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region, where poaching has been successfully cracked down on.
The carcasses include elephants of different ages and sexes, suggesting the deaths are not limited to a single family or demographic. The KWS said the deaths occurred over a month between 24 June and 24 July 2026.
According to figures from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which monitors the movements of the animals, there were more than 2,000 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.
It is estimated that more than 2,000 elephants roam in and around Amboseli National Park.
More BBC stories on elephants in Kenya:
Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54
Tourist pouring beer down elephant's trunk in Kenya sparks anger
'I'm afraid that elephants will kill me'
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