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Kenya probes 18 elephant deaths in Amboseli after arrests

Authorities said preliminary lab results point to a toxic substance, with earlier indications tied to suspected cyanide poisoning from pesticide-contaminated tomatoes.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Emerging Markets

Police in Kenya have arrested four suspects as part of an investigation into the deaths of 18 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem, with authorities also seizing assorted substances including chemicals, according to Reuters citing Kenya’s tourism and wildlife ministry.

A Kenya Wildlife Service spokesperson told Reuters that the suspects have since been released on bail. The ministry said preliminary laboratory results indicate probable involvement of a toxic substance, and earlier indications suggested cyanide poisoning after elephants ingested pesticide-contaminated tomatoes from farms bordering Amboseli National Park.

The ministry added that some wildlife experts have raised doubts about whether farm pesticides were responsible, citing the lack of reported deaths among other animals in the area. Investigators are also pursuing a fifth individual believed to have information relevant to the case.

Reuters reported that a search in Tikondo in Loitoktok sub-county, about 220 km southeast of Nairobi, led to the discovery of assorted substances, including chemicals believed to have come from a neighboring country.

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