Four individuals have been arrested in Kenya as part of an investigation into a series of mysterious elephant deaths that have occurred over the past two months.
According to officials, three of the suspects are Kenyan, while one is Tanzanian. They are accused of poisoning at least 18 elephants in Amboseli National Park, as reported by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The investigation is focusing on the possibility that the elephants died from cyanide poisoning after consuming large quantities of tomatoes that had been sprayed with illegal pesticides.
Preliminary laboratory tests have detected traces of cyanide in samples taken from the elephants’ stomachs.
All affected elephants, primarily adult females and their calves, exhibited signs of paralysis, which authorities associate with cyanide poisoning.
Tomato farms are located in the Kimana area, which serves as a corridor between Amboseli National Park and Tsavo National Park in southern Kenya.
This region, known as the Amboseli ecosystem, lies near the Tanzanian border and is home to over 2,000 elephants that migrate in search of food and water.
Illegal pesticides, which are prohibited in Kenya, are sometimes smuggled across the porous border with Tanzania and used on farms in the Amboseli area. Here, elephants often come into contact with human settlements and raid farms for food.
Although regulations against illegal agrochemicals exist, enforcement is weak, and there is insufficient attention to their potential effects on wildlife.
Investigation is ongoing.