Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is investigating the deaths of 15 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem that happened between June 24, 2026 and July 24, 2026. KWS stated this happened after preliminary laboratory tests that detected a potential toxic substance in samples collected from several animals.
Most of the elephants that died were adult females and their calves, with only one adult male being among the reported cases. In a statement, KWS said the elephant deaths were recorded in Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Ranch area.
Following the reports, the agency deployed veterinary teams from Nairobi, Tsavo and Amboseli to investigate the incident. An order to treat affected elephants, carry out post-mortem examinations and collect samples for laboratory analysis was also given.
The collected samples were submitted to the University of Nairobi (UoN), the Government Chemist and other specialised laboratories for toxicological and pathological testing.
According to KWS, the 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 laboratory analysis is required to determine the concentration of the substance, to find whether it is linked to the elephant deaths. Investigators are also working to establish its possible source.
Meanwhile, preliminary tests by the Government Chemist did not detect the toxic substances that had been screened, although additional analysis for other possible toxins is still in process.
KWS added that between June 24 and July 24, 2026, 15 elephant deaths were recorded in Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Ranch area. Out of these, 10 elephants exhibited similar clinical signs, including partial paralysis that left them unable to stand before dying within one to two days.
The KWS agency also indicated that veterinarians were unable to establish the cause of death for the remaining five elephants because the carcasses had either decomposed or been scavenged.
Officials said that this is for the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region where they have successfully cracked down on poaching.
Earlier, the Head of Communication of KWS – Duncan Wanyama told local media that the bodies had been found at different locations surrounding the park, around 15km (nine miles) to 30km from its boundaries. According to figures from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which monitors the movements of the animals, there were over 2,000 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.