The unexplained deaths of 15 elephants near Kenya’s Amboseli National Park have alarmed conservationists and renewed concerns about the growing conflict between wildlife and farming along the park’s borders.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says preliminary laboratory tests indicate the elephants were exposed to cyanide after feeding on tomatoes believed to have been sprayed with pesticide on nearby farms. Officials stressed that investigations are still under way and that the findings remain preliminary.
The deaths were recorded over a month-long period between 24 June and 24 July.
Animals showed signs of paralysis before dying
According to KWS, ten of the elephants were found alive but displaying signs of paralysis before dying within two days. Five others were discovered already dead.
Authorities said samples collected from the carcasses detected cyanide, pointing investigators towards agricultural chemicals as the likely source. However, officials say there is currently no evidence that the animals were deliberately poisoned.
“We have ruled out foul play for now,” wildlife authorities told local media, while noting that investigations remain ongoing.
KWS also sought to reassure nearby communities, saying there is no immediate indication that the incident poses a risk to human health.
The dead elephants included animals of different ages and sexes, suggesting the incident affected multiple groups rather than a single herd.
Growing pressure on wildlife habitat
The incident has intensified concerns over expanding farming activities around the Amboseli ecosystem, where elephants frequently leave protected areas in search of food and water.
The Amboseli ecosystem stretches across southern Kenya into northern Tanzania and is one of East Africa’s best-known wildlife landscapes. It supports one of Africa’s most studied elephant populations.
According to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, more than 2,000 elephants lived within the ecosystem in 2025.
While Kenya has made significant progress in reducing elephant poaching over the past decade, wildlife experts say habitat loss and increasing encounters between people and elephants remain major conservation challenges.
Officials described the latest deaths as the largest elephant mortality event recorded in the Amboseli region in decades.
Investigators are expected to carry out further toxicology tests before releasing their final findings.
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