Four arrested over suspected poisoning of elephants in Kenya

ByEmily Atkinson and Thomas Mukhwana, BBC Africa.

Key points

• Three Kenyans and one Tanzanian have been detained on suspicion of poisoning at least 18 elephants in the Amboseli National Park, the Kenya Wildlife Service informed the BBC.
• It is part of a corridor between Amboseli National Park and the Tsavo National Park in southern Kenya.
• Four individuals have been arrested in Kenya as part of an investigation into a spate of mysterious elephant deaths over the past two months, office-holders have noted.
• Preliminary laboratory tests have discovered traces of cyanide in samples of the crops taken from the elephants' stomachs.
• All of the affected elephants – mainly female adults and their calves – had additionally shown signs of paralysis.

In practice, the investigation is looking into whether the elephants died from cyanide poisoning after eating sizeable quantities of tomatoes sprayed with illegal pesticides.

All of the affected elephants – mainly female adults and their calves – had additionally shown signs of paralysis. It authorities believe additionally points to cyanide poisoning.

Tomato farms are discovered in the Kimana area. It is part of a corridor between Amboseli National Park and the Tsavo National Park in southern Kenya.

It is a vast area known as the Amboseli ecosystem. It straddles the border near Tanzania where more than 2, 000 elephants move along in search of food and water.

Pesticides prohibited in Kenya are sometimes smuggled throughout this porous border with Tanzania and employed in farms within the Amboseli area, where elephants live near human settlements and are known to raid farms for food.

While regulations against illegal agrochemicals exist, there is subdued enforcement and little attention paid to how they can affect animals. The suspects have been published on bail and the investigation continues.

For now, four arrested over suspected poisoning of elephants in Kenya remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.