At least 20 elephants have died in southern Kenya since June after developing similar symptoms, including partial paralysis, leaving conservationists searching for the cause.
The latest victim, an 11-year-old male elephant named Genghis Khan, repeatedly struggled to stand before dying despite emergency treatment from veterinarians.
The deaths have alarmed communities around Amboseli, where elephant herds attract tourists and generate vital revenue for Kenya’s wildlife-dependent economy.
Kenya Wildlife Service said toxicology tests found high levels of cyanide in elephant carcasses, raising concerns that pesticides may have caused the deaths.
However, several wildlife specialists and local officials have questioned the poisoning theory, noting that no other animals appear to have died.
They also said scavengers and insects that fed on the carcasses survived, weakening the possibility that the elephants died from toxic exposure.
Joel Nyika, the Amboseli ecosystem manager for Kajiado County, said wildlife authorities suspected a disease affecting elephants specifically.
KWS later said its tests found no evidence of an infectious or transmissible disease, while assuring tourists that the area remained safe.
Despite that, rangers and journalists have documented several elephant carcasses in the Kimana reserve, with affected animals displaying similar signs of debilitating paralysis.
Conservationist Paula Kahumbu has also challenged the pesticide theory, pointing out that adult male elephants, which often raid crops, have largely avoided the deaths.
Local farmers have expressed grief over the losses and urged authorities to identify what is killing the elephants instead of assigning blame.
Concerns are also growing that the unexplained condition could have spread into neighbouring Tanzania, prompting calls for a wider investigation.
“We need to know what is killing our elephants,” said Patrick Papatiti, reflecting growing concern over a crisis whose cause remains unknown.