Kenya investigates 15 elephant deaths near Amboseli
Kenya Wildlife Service has opened an investigation into the unexplained deaths of 15 elephants recorded over one month in and around Amboseli National Park.
KWS said the deaths were recorded between June 24 and July 24, 2026, in Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Ranch area.
The wildlife authority said 10 elephants showed similar clinical signs, including partial paralysis that left them unable to stand before they died within one to two days. It said the other five carcasses were too decomposed or had been scavenged, preventing officials from establishing a cause of death.
Only one of the dead elephants was an adult male; the others were females or calves. Preliminary tests detected a potential toxic substance in several of the affected elephants, KWS said.
Amboseli is known for its elephant herds and savannah landscapes, with Mount Kilimanjaro visible across the border in Tanzania.
Uncertainty notes
The cause of the elephant deaths has not been established.
Five carcasses were too decomposed or had been scavenged, preventing a cause of death from being determined for those elephants.
The potential toxic substance detected in preliminary tests was not identified in the supplied information.
Source
AFP news report published on .