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🇰🇷 South Korea /Environment & Climate

Fifteen Elephants Found Dead in Kenya National Park; Poisoning Suspected

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Fifteen elephants have died in Kenya's Amboseli National Park and its surrounding areas over the past month.
  • Preliminary tests on elephant carcasses indicate poisoning by cyanide, likely from contaminated agricultural produce.
  • Authorities are investigating the cause, with past incidents involving farmers poisoning elephants to protect crops.

Kenyan authorities are investigating the deaths of 15 elephants in and around Amboseli National Park, a renowned wildlife sanctuary. The animals died over a month-long period, with the latest deaths reported on July 29. Preliminary analyses of samples taken from the carcasses have detected traces of cyanide, a highly toxic chemical, suggesting poisoning as the likely cause.

Preliminary analysis of samples taken from the elephant carcasses detected traces of cyanide, suggesting that agricultural chemicals are likely to be the cause of death.

— Erastus KangaDirector General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on the initial findings.

Erastus Kanga, Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), stated that the cyanide likely originated from agricultural chemicals. The elephants are believed to have consumed contaminated produce, possibly tomatoes, from farms bordering the park. "Cyanide is a very toxic chemical, especially to elephants," Kanga told local media, highlighting the substance's danger to wildlife.

While the exact source and perpetrators are still under investigation, KWS acknowledges that past incidents have involved local farmers using poison to deter elephants from damaging their crops. The affected area, including the Kimana conservation area and Kuku ranch, is adjacent to agricultural and pastoral lands, increasing the potential for human-wildlife conflict.

Cyanide is a very toxic chemical, especially to elephants.

— Erastus KangaKWS Director General emphasizing the danger of the suspected poison.

Of the deceased elephants, 10 showed signs of paralysis before succumbing within two days. The condition of the remaining five carcasses was too deteriorated to determine a precise cause of death. Notably, most of the victims were female elephants and their calves, with only one adult male among the dead. Kanga warned that if such toxic substances are present in the ecosystem, the impact could extend beyond elephants to other wildlife and even livestock like goats and cattle that graze in the vicinity.

If this substance is actually present in the ecosystem, we will eventually see a greater impact.

— Erastus KangaKWS Director General warning about the broader ecological consequences.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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