In Kenya, fifteen elephants died in a national park; cyanide is suspected.

Fifteen elephants were found dead this month in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Authorities suspect cyanide poisoning, likely linked to pesticides used on nearby farms.

Kenyan wildlife officials announced Thursday that the fifteen elephants found dead in Amboseli National Park, near the Tanzanian border, had ingested tomatoes contaminated with "very powerful pesticides." Tomatoes were indeed found in the stomachs of several animals belonging to the same herd.

Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Duncan Juma Wanyama explained that the elephants were likely attracted by unripe cyanide plants growing on nearby farms. One elephant died on the farm after eating the fruit, while others traveled several kilometers toward a watering hole before succumbing, despite veterinary intervention. Cyanide, Wanyama explained, "affects the lungs and liver" immediately upon ingestion.

Authorities have not named anyone as responsible, but the context is troubling: farmers have previously been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to protect their crops. An investigation is underway to determine if other farmers in the area are using the same chemicals.

The director general of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Erustus Kanga, warned that the consequences could extend beyond just wildlife. "We have local livestock, goats, and cattle grazing in these areas. If that's really what's in the system, we're going to see a much wider impact," he said.

The international animal welfare organization IFAW described the incident as a "major setback" for one of the largest elephant populations on the African continent. Its director in Kenya, Ben Wandago, demanded that those responsible be "fully held accountable before the law" and called for strict controls on highly toxic substances to prevent them from contaminating natural ecosystems.

Amboseli Park, famous for its large herds of elephants and savannah landscapes dominated by Kilimanjaro visible from Tanzania, is one of East Africa's most iconic conservation sites.