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

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Kenyan wildlife officials are investigating the deaths of 15 elephants found outside Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, with pesticide-contaminated tomatoes from nearby farms suspected as the source of poisoning. The Kenya Wildlife Service said early lab analysis detected cyanide in samples collected from the carcasses.

According to the report, 10 elephants were first seen showing paralysis-like symptoms and died within two days, while five others were already dead when located. The KWS said the deaths occurred over a month, from 24 June to 24 July 2026. Officials have not concluded the investigation, but have said they are not currently treating the incident as deliberate poisoning. Wildlife authorities also told local media the substances involved do not pose an immediate danger to people.

The case is significant because officials described it as the largest elephant death toll recorded in decades in the Amboseli region, an area where anti-poaching efforts have been effective. The dead animals included different ages and both sexes, which BBC Africa noted suggests the deaths were not confined to one elephant family group.

The wider Amboseli ecosystem, which extends toward the Tanzania border, is one of Kenya’s best-known wildlife landscapes. BBC Africa cited the Amboseli Trust for Elephants as saying more than 2,000 elephants lived in the ecosystem in 2025. The suspected poisoning has renewed concern about farming expanding near wildlife habitat, where elephants often enter cultivated land while searching for food and water.