Kenya Probes 15 Elephant Deaths in Amboseli as Tests Flag Possible Poisoning

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 30

Fifteen elephants died in Amboseli National Park between June 24 and July 24, an unprecedented cluster in the park that Kenya Wildlife Service says may involve one family group.
Preliminary tests found potential toxic substances, while a government chemist has not confirmed toxins, leaving investigators to examine water sources and other environmental factors.
Ten elephants showed partial paralysis before dying, and KWS said some herd members survived after interventions, making a contagious disease less likely.
Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku ranch border farmland where human-wildlife conflict is common, and officials said pesticides or poisoned crops could have contaminated areas used by the herd.
Amboseli holds just under 2,000 elephants within Kenya's roughly 42,000, making the deaths a high-profile blow in a country that relies heavily on wildlife tourism and conservation gains.