Following the mysterious deaths of 15 elephants in Kenya's world-famous Amboseli National Park within the last month, specialists have begun investigating a possible poisoning case. This was reported by The Guardian publication.
It was reported that 10 of the dead elephants showed signs of partial paralysis before their deaths. As for the remaining five elephant carcasses, due to severe decomposition or damage by wild animals, it was not possible to determine their exact cause of death.
It is noted that the majority of the dead animals were female elephants and their calves. Among them, only one male elephant was recorded. The incidents occurred in the Kimana Sanctuary adjacent to Amboseli National Park and the Kuku Ranch area.
In preliminary laboratory analyses, traces of a “potentially toxic substance” were found in samples taken from the elephants. However, additional tests conducted by the state laboratory have so far not yielded positive results for known toxic substances.
Specialists from the Kenya Wildlife Service are also studying the environment to determine whether the elephants were poisoned from a common source. In particular, water sources, soil, and other potential contaminants are being examined.
According to data, Kenya has previously seen cases of deliberate poisoning of elephants as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflicts.
Officials have so far stated that there is no evidence confirming that this incident poses a threat to human health, and called on the public not to worry.
For information, Amboseli National Park is one of the tourist destinations famous for its large elephant herd and the view of Mount Kilimanjaro. According to specialists, nearly two thousand elephants live in the park.
