The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed that cyanide poisoning was responsible for the recent deaths of 15 elephants in the Amboseli National Park ecosystem. Preliminary laboratory tests detected traces of cyanide in samples taken from the carcasses, linking the fatalities to agricultural chemicals used in nearby tomato farms.
KWS Director General Prof. Erastus Kanga explained that the affected elephants ingested pesticides sprayed on farms adjacent to the park, which led to their poisoning. The incident unfolded over the past month, with rangers first noticing several elephants falling ill before dying.
Dr Isaac Lekoolol, Head of Veterinary and Capture Services at KWS, noted that the Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary suffered significant losses, with a single herd losing six elephants, including adult females and calves. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that the deaths were caused by toxic agricultural chemicals, primarily originating from tomato farms in Kimana, Kajiado County.
Response and Ongoing Measures
- KWS has contained the immediate threat and increased surveillance across the Amboseli ecosystem to monitor elephant herds closely.
- The agency is collaborating with local communities and stakeholders to promote safer pesticide use and prevent future poisoning incidents.
- Despite the wildlife deaths, KWS states there is no current evidence indicating a risk to human health from the contamination.
Conservationists have urged for the adoption of wildlife-friendly farming practices to reduce the dangers posed by hazardous chemicals to animals that move between protected areas and surrounding farmlands.
