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Mysterious illness kills 19 elephants in Kenya's Amboseli region
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Environment & Climate

Mysterious illness kills 19 elephants in Kenya's Amboseli region

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • At least 19 elephants have died in Kenya's Amboseli region since June from an unknown illness causing partial paralysis.
  • Veterinarians suspect pesticide poisoning after detecting high cyanide levels, but local rangers believe it is a disease.
  • The deaths are raising concerns for the health of the local wildlife, a major draw for tourism in the region.

In the heart of Kenya's Amboseli region, a mysterious illness is decimating elephant herds, leaving at least 19 dead since June. The once-majestic creatures, a symbol of this savanna landscape, now struggle to stand, succumbing to a partial paralysis that has veterinarians and wildlife officials baffled.

They walk and breathe with difficulty, they are agitated.

— Patrick PapatitiPatrick Papatiti, chief of operations for Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers, describes the symptoms of the sick elephants.

Elephants like Gengis Khan, an 11-year-old male, are found lying on the ground, their breathing labored, their eyes red. Veterinarians from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) administer glucose, a futile gesture against an unknown foe. The affected animals walk with difficulty before collapsing, some fighting for days before death.

When they can no longer walk or stand, they lie down, some fight for a day, two or three days, until they die.

— Patrick PapatitiPatrick Papatiti describes the progression of the illness affecting the elephants.

The Kenya Wildlife Service initially suggested pesticide poisoning, citing high cyanide levels in the carcasses, possibly from consuming fruit from nearby farms. However, local rangers, like Patrick Papatiti, chief of operations for Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers, reject this theory. "It is a disease," he asserts, questioning why authorities are not pursuing this line of investigation more vigorously. "Cyanide is not used anywhere here."

It is a disease.

— Patrick PapatitiPatrick Papatiti expresses his belief that the elephants are dying from an illness, rejecting the pesticide theory.

The region, famous for its elephant populations and dominated by the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, faces a growing crisis. The loss of these iconic animals threatens not only the local ecosystem but also the tourism that sustains the communities. The mystery surrounding their deaths deepens with each fallen elephant, leaving a shadow over the famed African savanna.

Why do those who should be striving to solve the problem ignore this clue?

— Patrick PapatitiPatrick Papatiti questions the authorities' focus on pesticides instead of investigating a potential disease.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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