Kenya Probes 16 Elephant Deaths in Amboseli as Farmers Reject Cyanide-Tomato Link
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 7
Kenya Probes 16 Elephant Deaths in Amboseli as Farmers Reject Cyanide-Tomato Link
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 7
Summary
Kenya’s wildlife service raised the death toll to 16 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem after a monthlong die-off tied by preliminary tests to suspected cyanide poisoning.
Postmortems found tomatoes in the elephants’ stomachs, and veterinarians said the animals showed paralysis and breathing difficulty before dying, though blood tests are still underway to measure cyanide levels.
The agency asked Kenya’s Pest Control Products Board to investigate whether cyanide was improperly used, stored or disposed of, and whether soil, water or grass were contaminated.
Kimana farmers disputed that their crops were the source, saying cyanide is not among chemicals sold locally and questioning why goats, cattle and other wildlife were not also affected.
The deaths have sharpened concern over human-wildlife pressure around Amboseli, where expanding farms border elephant habitat and conflict is already the second-leading cause of elephant deaths after poaching.