15 elephant deaths in Kenya may be due to cyanide
The recent deaths of 15 elephants near a park in southern Kenya were likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says. The agency’s director general, Erustus Kanga, says analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound used in farming […] The post 15 elephant deaths in Kenya may be due to cyanide appeared first on The Namibian .
The recent deaths of 15 elephants near a park in southern Kenya were likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says.
The agency’s director general, Erustus Kanga, says analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound used in farming as a predator control poison and a pest fumigant, which has also been used by poachers.
“Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical,” he says.
