The recent deaths of 15 elephants near a park in southern Kenya were likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says.
The agency’s director general, Erustus Kanga, says analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound used in farming as a predator control poison and a pest fumigant, which has also been used by poachers.
“Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical,” he says.
“If elephants consume cyanide, they cannot survive.”
The deaths occurred in the Kimana sanctuary and Kuku Group ranch areas around Amboseli national park, an area covering 392km2 and that, together with other neighbouring conservancies, are home to more than 1 600 elephants.
Kimana town is a leading tomato producer, where researchers at the Route to Food Initiative, a food rights programme, have previously reported the use of a cyanide substance. KWS veterinary and capture services head Isaac Lekolool says the stomach contents of one member of a herd that roamed Kimana sanctuary included “lots of tomatoes”, suggesting agrochemical poisoning.
Kanga warns that the effects could reach a wider population, as livestock may also eat from farms in the area.
“Eventually, if this cyanide is truly the one that is in the system, then we are going to see a bigger impact.”
Last Tuesday, KWS announced it was investigating the elephant deaths in Amboseli. It said 10 of the elephants had shown signs of partial paralysis before dying and that preliminary tests had detected a potential toxic substance.
Conservation organisation Big Life Foundation chief executive Benson Leyian says the elephant deaths are a cause for concern.
“Thanks to decades of community-centred conservation, the Amboseli elephant population is one of the best protected in Africa, and elephant poaching has been virtually eliminated here. Aside from losses during periods of severe drought, we haven’t seen a cluster of elephant deaths like this for some time,” he says.
In a statement, the International Fund for Animal Welfare describes the deaths as “deeply alarming”, saying the incident “reinforces why we must continue investing in science, monitoring and collaborative conservation efforts”.
“Every elephant lost is significant – not only for the species, but for the health of the ecosystems they help sustain and the communities that live alongside them,” it says.
Farmers and herders in Kenya have in the past poisoned wildlife in retaliation for eating their crops and livestock.
– The Guardian
