Cyanide poisoning likely killed 15 elephants in Kenya: investigators

Elephants of different ages and sexes died in the  Amboseli National Park over a period of three weeks.[Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Fifteen elephants found dead over the past month in one of Kenya's best-known wildlife parks were likely poisoned by cyanide, possibly from pesticides used on nearby farms, wildlife officials said Thursday.

The deaths occurred in Amboseli National Park near the Tanzanian border, home to some of Africa's most famous elephant herds.

A preliminary investigation found the animals had ingested cyanide, "a toxic substance... which is very lethal, very poisonous," Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Duncan Juma Wanyama told AFP.

"And whenever the elephant consumed it, it affects their lung and the liver," he added.

Investigators suspect the elephants ate tomatoes contaminated with "very strong pesticides", Wanyama said.

Tomatoes were found in the stomachs of several elephants from the same herd, which may have been attracted to unripe plants growing on nearby farms, he added.

The investigation was still under way and it was not yet clear whether the poisoning was accidental or deliberate.

At least one elephant died on the farm where the tomatoes were growing. Others staggered towards a water source before dying days later, despite treatment by vets.

Nine female elephants and their calves, along with an adult male, had shown similar symptoms, including partial paralysis that left them unable to stand.

The remaining five carcasses were too decomposed or had been scavenged, so investigators were unable to determine the cause of death.

Wildlife officials are now checking whether other farmers in the area use the same chemicals.

Amboseli is world-renowned for its herds of elephants and its savannah landscapes, with Mount Kilimanjaro visible across the border in Tanzania.