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The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has inaugurated an environmental investigation following the death of 15 elephants within one month in the Amboseli ecosystem.
The wildlife agency, in a statement, said the deaths were recorded between June 24 and July 24, 2026, across Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Ranch area.
According to the KWS, 10 of the elephants showed similar clinical symptoms, including partial paralysis that left them unable to stand before dying within one to two days.
It said the remaining five carcasses were severely decomposed or had been scavenged, making it impossible to immediately determine the cause of death.
The agency said it promptly deployed a specialised veterinary team from Nairobi, Tsavo and Amboseli to investigate the incident, treat surviving elephants, conduct post-mortem examinations and collect diagnostic samples.
“Preliminary laboratory findings from the University of Nairobi detected a potential toxic substance in the samples collected from several of the affected elephants.
“However, further quantitative analysis is underway to determine the concentration and significance of the findings, while additional investigations continue to establish the source,” the statement said.
The KWS said environmental investigations, including testing water sources and possible contaminants across the affected areas, were ongoing to determine whether the elephants had been exposed to a common source.
It said surveillance had been intensified across the Amboseli ecosystem, while elephant populations continued to be closely monitored in collaboration with scientific partners to establish the definitive cause of the deaths.
The agency emphasised that there was currently no evidence the incident posed any risk to public health, noting that the condition appeared limited to the affected elephants and showed no signs of transmission to humans.
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