- Fifteen elephants have died in Kenya's Amboseli National Park from suspected cyanide poisoning after consuming tomatoes from nearby farms.
- The Kenya Wildlife Service is investigating the source of the cyanide, with preliminary tests confirming its presence and post-mortem examinations finding tomatoes in the elephants' stomachs.
- Local farmers in the Kimana area, bordering Amboseli, dispute claims that their produce is responsible, stating they have never encountered cyanide among regulated agricultural chemicals.
- The deaths highlight escalating human-wildlife conflict in the region due to expanding agricultural activities, despite farmers coexisting with elephants and suffering significant crop losses without compensation.
- The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has called for an urgent investigation and the implementation of coexistence solutions, emphasising the need for strict control of toxic substances.
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