Pesticide-sprayed tomatoes suspected to have killed 15 elephants in Kenya

BBC World NewsUpdated Jul 30, 2026, 12:14 PM

Foul play is ruled out in the record number of elephant deaths for decades in this area of southern Kenya.

Fifteen elephants found dead in southern Kenya outside the Amboseli National Park are suspected to have been poisoned by eating tomatoes that had been sprayed with pesticides on nearby farms.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says preliminary laboratory tests found cyanide in samples taken from the animals' carcasses.

Ten of the elephants had been found with signs of paralysis and then died within two days. The other five elephants were already dead by the time they were discovered.

Investigations are continuing, but for the time being wildlife officials have ruled out foul play.

Seeking to reassure the public, wildlife authorities have told local media the toxic substances eaten by the elephants pose no immediate risk to humans.

This incident has raised concerns about expanding farming activities near the park as elephants often stray on to farmland in search of food and water.

The park and its surrounds are known as the Amboseli ecosystem, a vast area that straddles the border with Tanzania, which is famous for its wildlife.

Officials say this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region where they have successfully cracked down on poaching.

The carcasses include elephants of different ages and sexes, suggesting the deaths are not limited to a single family or demographic.

The KWS said the deaths had occurred over a month between 24 June and 24 July 2026.

According to figures from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which monitors the movements of the animals, there were more than 2,000 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.