15 lions die in a month in a Kenyan reserve due to poisoning linked to agricultural pesticides

Kenya’s Wildlife Service on Thursday said that the deaths of 15 elephants in a Kenyan national park during the month were likely caused by cyanide poisoning, possibly resulting from pesticides sprayed on tomatoes grown in adjacent farms.

The service had launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths of 15 elephants between June 24 and July 24 in Amboseli National Park, located in southern Kenya on the border with Tanzania, where pastoralist and farming communities live.

Duncan Guma Wanyama, a spokesperson for the service, told Agence France-Presse that the preliminary investigation report indicated that the elephants had ingested “a toxic substance, specifically cyanide, a lethal compound that affects the elephant’s lungs and liver when swallowed.”

He explained that the most likely cause of these deaths was the elephants consuming tomatoes “containing very strong pesticides,” but warned that this “could also affect humans.”

Tomatoes were found in the stomachs of elephants belonging to the same herd, which were likely attracted to the green tomato plants in neighboring farms, according to Wanyama.

He noted that the ongoing investigation had not yet determined whether the poisoning of the elephants was intentional, suggesting that the “high concentration” of cyanide “may” have been the result of human error during the pesticide mixing process.

The spokesperson for Kenya’s Wildlife Service added that authorities were trying to determine whether other farmers were using similar products.

At least one elephant died on the farm where the tomato plants were grown. Other elephants approached a water source but died within days despite receiving veterinary care.

Nine female elephants and their calves, along with one adult male, exhibited the same clinical symptoms, including partial paralysis that prevented them from standing.

Kenya’s Wildlife Service stated on Tuesday that the carcasses of the other five elephants were “too decomposed” or damaged by scavengers, making it impossible to determine the cause of death.

Amboseli National Park, a protected area, is globally renowned for its rich biodiversity, particularly its elephant herds and stunning savanna landscapes dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, located on the Tanzanian side of the border with Kenya.