Farmers in Kenya dispute that cyanide poisoning could have killed 15 elephants

Eleven elephants have reportedly died in Kenya's Amboseli National Park after consuming tomatoes from nearby farms, leading to suspicions of cyanide poisoning. However, farmers in the region are disputing this claim, asserting that the elephants could not have died from the suspected pesticide. Elvis Muchai, a local farmer who has been farming on the edge of Amboseli for two decades, expressed skepticism about the cyanide poisoning theory, stating that he has never heard of farmers intentionally poisoning wildlife.

Muchai, who also grows tomatoes, explained that local communities have coexisted with elephants for years, despite repeated crop losses caused by the animals crossing the park's electric fence and raiding farms, particularly during the dry season. The elephant deaths and the conflicting accounts regarding the cause have heightened concerns over escalating human-wildlife conflicts in the area due to the expanding agricultural activities near Amboseli National Park.

Kenya has recently been celebrated for successfully rebuilding its elephant population from critically low levels to over 36,000 individuals, largely due to efforts to reduce poaching and protect elephants.