▲ Elephants at Amboseli National Park in Kenya
As authorities suggested that illegal pesticides sprayed on tomatoes by farmers may be the cause behind a recent mass die-off of elephants in Kenya's Amboseli ecosystem, local farmers are protesting the claim.
According to Kenyan daily People Daily and other reports on August 25 (local time), Rebecca Miano, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, recently stated that four people, including farmers from the Kimana area in Kajiado County, have been arrested in connection with the incident, and unlabelled chemicals suspected of being toxic were seized.
Previously, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated that the elephants found dead in large numbers are believed to have eaten tomatoes contaminated with cyanide.
Cyanide was previously used in pesticides, but is currently regulated as a toxic substance.
However, the BBC pointed out that pesticides banned in Kenya are sometimes used by farming households, having been smuggled from Tanzania and elsewhere through lax border controls.
In response, farmers in the Kimana area staged a protest on August 24 by blocking roads, objecting to the arrest of fellow farmers by linking the elephant deaths to pesticide use.
The farmers raised doubts over the claim that elephants foraging for food died after eating pesticide-contaminated tomatoes on farms, noting that no similar damage occurred among other animals or livestock in the area.
They also countered that they have never received reports from health authorities of any harm to humans who consumed tomatoes produced in the region.
Although the arrested farmers were eventually released on bail, authorities stated they are tracking down a fifth suspect believed to hold information related to the incident.
However, some wildlife experts are also questioning the Kenyan authorities' approach of focusing on pesticide residues on crops.
They pointed out that other animals that fed on the carcasses of the dead elephants showed no signs of mortality.
Joel Niyika, the Amboseli ecosystem manager for Kajiado County, reported that animals such as hyenas, vultures, and jackals fed on the elephant carcasses, but not a single death has been reported, nor did flies or insects in contact with the carcasses show shock symptoms from toxic substances.
They argue that if the elephants were poisoned with enough cyanide to bring down a 3-ton animal, scavenger animals that ate the carcasses should have suffered secondary poisoning or mass mortality.
Some veterinary experts raised the possibility of infection by an unknown virus or bacteria.
They expressed concern that if the government focuses too heavily on pesticides, it could delay the establishment of quarantine or biological surveillance systems necessary to block biological threats.
In this regard, the KWS stated earlier this month that no evidence suggesting an infectious disease has emerged.
Cabinet Secretary Miano said further scientific verification is still required, adding, "The government will ensure that the investigation and judicial process proceed in accordance with the law until a final conclusion is reached."
According to the KWS, 15 elephants died between June 24 and July 24 in the Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Group Ranch areas near Amboseli National Park.
Ten of them showed partial paralysis symptoms and died within 1 to 2 days without being able to stand up, while the remaining five were found already dead.
Authorities stated that three more elephants have died recently, bringing the total death toll to 18 so far.
According to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, an elephant conservation group, more than 2,000 elephants inhabited the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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