An urgent investigation has been launched into the mysterious deaths of 14 elephants in southern Kenya, near the Amboseli National Park.

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

The park and its surroundings are known as the Amboseli ecosystem, a vast area straddling the border with Tanzania, famous for its wildlife.

Officials say this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region where they have successfully combated poaching.

KWS states that there is currently no evidence to indicate a single cause of death.

The carcasses include elephants of different ages and sexes, suggesting that the deaths are not limited to a single family or demographic group.

The wildlife agency’s head of communications, Duncan Wanyama, told local media that the bodies had been found in different locations around the Amboseli National Park, between 15 and 30 kilometers from its boundaries.

According to figures from the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which monitors animal movements, in 2025 there were more than 2,000 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem.