15 elephants have died in southern Kenya in what wildlife authorities believe is one of the region's worst wildlife poisoning incidents in decades. Preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide in samples taken from the animals, with investigators suspecting the elephants ingested pesticide-contaminated tomatoes from farms bordering Amboseli National Park. The deaths occurred over a month between 24 June and 24 July in the Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Group Ranch areas, where elephants frequently roam in search of food and water. While cyanide poisoning has emerged as the leading explanation, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says investigations are continuing to determine exactly how the contamination occurred and whether it was accidental or intentional.
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