15 elephants that died within the Amboseli National Park ecosystem over the past month succumbed to cyanide poisoning after ingesting pesticides sprayed on nearby tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has said.
KWS Director General Erastus Kanga said preliminary laboratory analysis of samples collected from the carcasses detected traces of cyanide, pointing to agricultural chemicals as the likely cause of the deaths.
The incident has raised concern among conservationists, local leaders and wildlife authorities over the impact of farming activities on wildlife within the Amboseli ecosystem.
The deaths were first reported late last month after rangers began noticing elephants falling ill before collapsing and dying.
According to KWS Head of Veterinary and Capture Services, Dr Isaac Lekoolol, the animals exhibited similar clinical symptoms before their deaths.
Among the hardest-hit areas was the Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary, where one herd lost six elephants within a short period, including adult females and calves.
Post-mortem examinations later linked the deaths to poisoning from agricultural chemicals believed to have originated from neighbouring farms. Kimana is one of Kajiado County’s major tomato-growing areas.
“When I spoke to the head of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), he told me they were still gathering information before reaching a conclusion. He also clarified that the elephants did not die inside Amboseli National Park. They were found on surrounding ranches, some about 15 kilometres away from the park and others nearly 30 kilometres away,” Wanyama said.
Kanga said the agency has since contained the situation but warned communities living around Amboseli National Park and neighbouring wildlife conservancies to exercise caution when using pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.
He said KWS is working with stakeholders to prevent similar incidents and protect wildlife that frequently moves between farms and protected areas in search of food and water.
The wildlife agency, however, maintained that there is currently no evidence to suggest the contamination poses a risk to human health.
Even so, rangers and researchers have intensified surveillance across the Amboseli ecosystem and are closely monitoring elephant herds as investigations into the poisoning continue.
