Cyanide from Farm Pesticides Killed 15 Elephants in Kenya, Exposing Agriculture-Wildlife Conflict

Fifteen elephants near Kenya's Amboseli National Park died between June 24 and July 24, 2026 from cyanide poisoning after consuming pesticide-treated tomatoes from surrounding farms, KWS confirmed. Tissue samples matched a cyanide-based agricultural substance previously documented on local tomato crops by the Route to Food Initiative. The deaths stem not from poaching but from elephants' ancient migration routes intersecting chemical-intensive farmland.