Fifteen elephants have died in Kenya near Amboseli National Park. A preliminary investigation by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) found cyanide in samples taken from the animals’ carcasses, Nation Kenya reports.
Agrochemical theory
Investigators are determining whether the elephants could have eaten tomatoes from nearby farms that had been treated with toxic agricultural chemicals. According to officials, tomatoes were found in the stomach of one of the animals.
After reports of the animals’ deaths, many Kenyans suggested that poaching might have been the cause. At the same time, KWS’s preliminary findings point to a different theory. The article provides no final conclusions about the cause of the elephants’ deaths.
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Risks for animals and farms
In the Amboseli ecosystem, elephant migration routes intersect with farmland. The publication notes that the expansion of agriculture near protected areas increases pressure on farmers who protect crops from pests, diseases and damage caused by wild animals.
The author of the article points out that toxic agrochemicals could potentially pose a risk not only to elephants but also to antelopes, zebras, birds, pollinators, small mammals, livestock and aquatic organisms. Kenya has long discussed the regulation of particularly hazardous agrochemicals, as well as farmers’ access to safer alternatives.
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