Fifteen elephants that died en masse in a wildlife habitat in East Africa's Kenya are believed to have eaten tomatoes contaminated with cyanide, the Associated Press reported on the 29th (local time), citing statements made by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to local media.

Cyanide is a collective term for compounds containing a cyano group formed by a triple bond between carbon and nitrogen (-C≡N), such as potassium cyanide (KCN), sodium cyanide (NaCN), calcium cyanide (Ca(CN)₂), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN).

Among them, potassium cyanide is widely known by the Japanese-derived term "cheongsingari" (potassium cyanide).

Erustus Kanga, Director General of the KWS, explained that laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of cyanide, stating, "Cyanide is a highly toxic compound and is particularly toxic to elephants."

He warned that because livestock are also grazed in the area, the impact of cyanide contamination may not be limited to wildlife.

"Aside from the elephants and the wildlife that graze in those fields, there is local livestock there. There are goats, there are cattle," Kanga said. "If this [cyanide contamination] is indeed part of that ecosystem, we are going to see a much larger impact."

The KWS did not mention who was responsible for the cyanide contamination.

In the past, suspicions have been raised in this region that elephants were intentionally exposed to poisons to prevent crop damage, and there have also been cases where poachers poisoned elephants.

Cyanide was previously used in pesticides, but its use is currently prohibited.

However, the KWS did not disclose who caused the contamination or whether it was intentional.

According to the KWS, 15 elephants died between June 24 and July 24 in the Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Group Ranch areas near Amboseli National Park.

These areas, bordering Tanzania, are known as the Amboseli ecosystem and serve as a habitat and migration corridor for elephants and various other wildlife beneath Mount Kilimanjaro.

At the time of its initial announcement on July 28, the 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.

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

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

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)