Authorities have launched an investigation after 15 elephants were found dead en masse in a wildlife habitat in East Africa's Kenya.

According to Reuters and AP, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated on the previous day that the 15 elephants died between June 24 and the past month in the Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Ranch area near Amboseli National Park.

Bordering Tanzania, these areas are known as the Amboseli ecosystem, serving as a habitat and migration corridor for various wildlife, including elephants, beneath Mount Kilimanjaro.

KWS stated that 10 of the dead elephants showed symptoms of partial paralysis and died within one to two days without being able to stand up.

KWS explained that the remaining five were found already dead and their exact causes of death could not be determined as they were severely decomposed or scavenged by other animals.

Among the dead elephants, only one was an adult male, while all the rest were females or calves.

KWS stated that preliminary analysis of collected samples at a University of Nairobi laboratory detected potential toxic substances in some of the elephants, and authorities are conducting further tests.

It added that investigations are also underway regarding potential water source and other environmental contamination in the area.

AP reported that there have been past cases in Kenya where elephants were poisoned by toxic substances due to poaching and other incidents.

According to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, a conservation group, more than 2,000 elephants inhabited the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)