The deaths of 15 elephants near Kenya's Amboseli National Park between late June and late July have prompted questions after officials suggested pesticides used on nearby tomato farms may be to blame. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the animals showed signs of "partial paralysis" consistent with cyanide poisoning, but conservationists and local farmers have cast doubt on this explanation, noting no similar deaths have occurred in the area for decades despite long-standing farming in the region.

KWS chief vet Dr Isaac Lekolool confirmed traces of cyanide were found in the elephants' stomachs and said deliberate poisoning has not been ruled out, though the cause remains uncertain. A 2024 report by food safety group Route to Food found illegal cyanide-based agrochemicals, smuggled across the Tanzanian border, being used on farms in the Kimana area, highlighting weak enforcement of pesticide regulations. However, conservationist Paula Kahumbu, who has studied elephants for nearly 30 years, said the available evidence "isn't adding up", questioning whether elephants would consume enough contaminated produce to be fatally poisoned.