Kenyan authorities have opened an urgent investigation following the unexplained deaths of 14 elephants near Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) informed the BBC that experts are currently inspecting the remains.
Tissue samples have been dispatched to laboratories to check whether disease, poisoning, or another element caused the deaths.
The area surrounding the park forms part of the broader Amboseli ecosystem, a vast wildlife-rich habitat that spans the Kenyan border into Tanzania.
Local officials highlighted that mortalities of this magnitude are unprecedented for the region in recent decades, particularly given the area’s successful track record in curbing poaching.
According to KWS, there is currently no evidence pointing to a single cause of death. The deceased animals vary in age and sex, which indicates the deaths are not restricted to a specific family or group.
Duncan Wanyama, the wildlife agency’s head of communication, told local media that the carcasses were discovered across multiple locations around Amboseli National Park, ranging from 15km (nine miles) to 30km outside its borders.
Data from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, an organization that tracks local herds, indicates the Amboseli ecosystem was home to more than 2,000 elephants as of 2025.
