In brief
Kenya's Wildlife Service claims that four people have been arrested in connection with toxic tomato crops that poisoned at least 18 elephants, many adult females and their calves, in the Amboseli National Park. Preliminary lab tests found cyanide in samples from the animals' stomachs, and the illegal pesticides highlight weak regulation. The park sits on the Kenya–Tanzania border, a corridor vital for an elephant population that wanders across both countries. Authorities have released the suspects on bail as investigations press forward to pinpoint the source of the contamination.
Officials in Kenya have arrested three citizens and a Tanzanian suspect in a plot that allegedly poisoned at least 18 elephants in the Amboseli National Park.
Investigators say the animals ingested tomatoes sprayed with illegal pesticides that contained cyanide, leading to paralysis and death.
These farms sit in a corridor that straddles the Kenya–Tanzania border, a vital ecosystem where elephants roam in search of food and water.
While the suspects were released on bail, the Wildlife Service continues to probe the contamination and to strengthen enforcement of pesticide regulation.
