Kenya Says 15 Elephants Died Of Cyanide Poisoning After Eating Tomatoes From Nearby Farms

NAIROBI — Fifteen elephants that died complete nan past period successful confederate Kenya are suspected to person been poisoned by tomatoes contaminated by cyanide, wildlife authorities told section media Wednesday.

Authorities did not opportunity who they suspected successful nan contamination of tomatoes from farms neighboring nan Amboseli National Park. In nan past, farmers person been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to forestall them from eating crops.

The parkland successful confederate Kenya borders an area wherever farming and nan raising of livestock are prevalent.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga said preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide. “Cyanide is simply a highly toxic chemical, peculiarly for elephants,” Kanga told section media.

The Kenya Wildlife Service warned that nan contamination could person wider consequences because livestock besides graze successful nan area.

“Other than nan elephants and nan wildlife that whitethorn beryllium feeding successful those fields, we person nan section livestock,” Kanga said. “We person nan goats. We person nan cattle that are there. Eventually, if this is genuinely what is successful nan system, past we are going to spot a bigger impact.”

Wildlife authorities said nan toxic substances recovered successful nan deceased elephants airs nary contiguous threat to quality health.