Four people have been arrested after 18 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in and around Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Police are still looking for a fifth suspect.
The elephants were found dead between 24 June and the end of July in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya. At first, 16 deaths were recorded. Two more elephants later died, bringing the total to 18.
Laboratory tests at the University of Nairobi found that the elephants had been poisoned with cyanide, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Investigators are now trying to find out how the animals came into contact with the poison.
The youngest known victim was an 11-year-old elephant named Genghis Khan. Wildlife workers found him lying on the ground, partly paralysed and struggling to breathe.
Veterinarians tried to save him by giving him a glucose injection, but he died. Cyanide is extremely poisonous. Elephants that consume cyanide can die within two days.
Pesticides or poaching
Authorities are investigating two possible explanations for the poisoning.
One possibility is that the elephants ate tomatoes from nearby farms that had been treated with pesticides. Another possibility is that poachers deliberately used poison to paralyse the elephants.
It is not yet clear whether the four arrested people are connected to farming or poaching. Chemicals were found during searches last weekend and have been taken for further laboratory testing.
Growing conflict between elephants and farmers
The elephants died in the Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Group Ranch areas in and around Amboseli National Park. The wider area is home to more than 2,700 elephants.
After years of decline caused by ivory hunting, the elephant population in the region has been growing again.
But at the same time, the animals are losing more of their natural habitat as land is increasingly used for farming and livestock.
The area is suitable for growing tomatoes, and elephants sometimes walk through villages and farmland in search of food. They can destroy crops, creating conflict between farmers and wildlife.
