Kenya probes mysterious deaths of 15 elephants near Amboseli
Kenyan authorities have launched an urgent investigation into the unexplained deaths of 15 elephants near Amboseli National Park in the country’s south, Qazinform News Agency learned from Agenzia Nova.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said experts are examining the carcasses, with tissue samples sent to laboratories to determine whether disease, poisoning, or other factors were responsible.
The deaths, recorded between June 24 and July 24, occurred outside the park boundaries. KWS noted that the carcasses included elephants of different ages and sexes, suggesting the fatalities were not confined to a single family group.
“This is the first time in decades that elephant deaths of such scale have been reported in the Amboseli ecosystem, despite effective anti‑poaching measures,” authorities said.
KWS Communications Officer Duncan Wanyama told local media the bodies were found in several locations 15 to 30 kilometers from the park borders.
The Amboseli ecosystem, which spans the border with Tanzania, is renowned for its wildlife. According to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, more than 2,000 elephants were present in the area in 2025.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that six tigers are undergoing adaptation at Kazakhstan's Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve under a national project to return the Turanian tiger to its historical habitat.
