Kenya investigates deaths of 14 elephants

Kenyan wildlife officials have launched an urgent investigation into the deaths of 14 elephants in southern Kenya near Amboseli National Park, the BBC reported.

The Kenya Wildlife Service told the BBC that experts were examining the carcasses. KWS said tissue samples had been sent to laboratories to determine whether disease, poisoning or another factor caused the deaths.

KWS said "there is currently no evidence pointing to a single cause of death". The carcasses include elephants of different ages and sexes, which the BBC said suggests the deaths are not limited to a single family or demographic.

Duncan Wanyama, the wildlife agency's head of communication, told local media that the bodies were found at different locations surrounding Amboseli National Park. He said they were discovered around 15km to 30km, or nine to 19 miles, from the park's boundaries.

The deaths occurred in and around the Amboseli ecosystem, a vast wildlife area that straddles the border with Tanzania. Officials said this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region, where poaching has been successfully reduced.

According to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which monitors the animals' movements, more than 2,000 elephants lived in the Amboseli ecosystem as of 2025.