An urgent investigation has been launched into the mysterious deaths of 14 elephants in southern Kenya near Amboseli National Park. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said experts were examining the carcasses and that tissue samples had been sent to laboratories to determine whether the deaths were caused by disease, poisoning or another factor.
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. It is estimated that more than 2,000 elephants roam in and around Amboseli National Park.
Officials say this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region, where authorities have successfully cracked down on poaching. KWS says there is currently no evidence pointing to a single cause of death.
The carcasses include elephants of different ages and sexes, suggesting the deaths are not limited to a single family or demographic. The wildlife agency's head of communication, Duncan Wanyama, told local media the bodies had been found at different locations surrounding the Amboseli National Park, around 15km (nine miles) to 30km from its boundaries.
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.
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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