At least 20 elephants died in Kenya, theory of cianide poisoning contested

Kicking up a cloud of dust, the elephant slowly exhausts itself in a final attempt to stand up. Its breathing becomes heavy, and minutes later the 11-year-old male stops moving completely. Genghis Khan was the 20th elephant to die in Kenya since June. All exhibited similar symptoms, including partial paralysis, but the cause of death remains unknown, leaving scientists and conservationists baffled. They would find it very difficult to walk until they could not walk any longer. They lie down until they die. We are still trying to uncover what is happening. In late July, toxicology reports identified traces of cyanide in the elephant carcasses, suggesting the animals had possibly been poisoned after feeding on nearby crops. But the findings were rejected by local farmers, who said they didn't use any pesticides that contained cyanide. We've never heard of the chemical they say is killing the elephants. We don't use it on our crops. Several specialists also contested the theory, pointing out no other animals had died, including scavengers who fed on elephant carcasses. For Patrick Papatiti, head of operations in a local wildlife reserve, the deaths were likely caused by an unknown disease. He also worries the death toll could be much higher than estimated, and has called for a full investigation into the mystery affliction.