WRTI findings indicate about 50 elephants died in 2022 after drinking from the polluted Tsavo River. The contamination—largely plastics, oil and chemical waste—is traced to illegal dumping along the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway and is moving downstream toward the Indian Ocean. Kenyan authorities have pledged tougher enforcement while conservationists call for improved waste management and expanded community cleanups to protect wildlife, fisheries and coastal livelihoods.
Polluted Tsavo River Blamed for About 50 Elephant Deaths — Plastic, Oil and Chemical Waste Threaten Wildlife and Coastal Communities
WRTI findings indicate about 50 elephants died in 2022 after drinking from the polluted Tsavo River. The contamination—largely plastics, oil and chemical waste—is traced to illegal dumping along the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway and is moving downstream toward the Indian Ocean. Kenyan authorities have pledged tougher enforcement while conservationists call for improved waste management and expanded community cleanups to protect wildlife, fisheries and coastal livelihoods.
05:36 AM, 11/16/2025Environment
Polluted Tsavo River linked to roughly 50 elephant deaths
New findings from the Wildlife Research Training Institute (WRTI), reported by local media, indicate that roughly 50 elephants in Kenya's Tsavo ecosystem died in 2022 after drinking from the heavily contaminated Tsavo River. The contamination includes plastics, oil and other chemical waste that have choked waterways and poisoned wildlife.
The Tsavo River is the primary water source for Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks and sustains one of Africa's largest protected wildlife areas. Researchers say much of the pollution originates from illegal dumping along the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway, where truck drivers and nearby businesses discard refuse directly into drainage channels that flow into the river.
"Marine life is in danger due to massive degradation," said WRTI director Fredrick Lala, warning that contamination is moving downstream toward the Indian Ocean.
Officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service have publicly blamed motorists and others for worsening conditions around the river and have pledged stricter enforcement against illegal dumping in and around protected zones. Conservation groups and local authorities are calling for improved waste-management systems on long-distance transport routes, better enforcement, and expanded pollution monitoring.
Beyond immediate wildlife deaths, the pollution threatens coastal and human communities. The Tsavo River joins the Athi and Galana rivers and eventually reaches the Indian Ocean, a region that supports coral reefs, mangroves and fisheries vital to coastal livelihoods and food security. Microplastics and contaminated sediments can accumulate in the food web, harming marine species and people who rely on seafood.
Community-led solutions are already emerging: cleanup campaigns along the Athi River, river restoration efforts around Nairobi and coastal mangrove-planting projects demonstrate practical ways to reduce pollution and restore habitats. Experts urge scaling up such initiatives alongside national enforcement and better waste infrastructure to prevent further loss of wildlife and protect coastal economies.
What needs to happen
Immediate actions: stronger enforcement against illegal dumping, targeted cleanups along highways and riverbanks, and rapid pollution monitoring. Longer-term solutions: improved waste-management systems for transport corridors, public-awareness campaigns, support for community recycling initiatives, and restoration of affected wetlands and mangroves.
Protecting the Tsavo River is not only about saving elephants — it is about securing clean water, food security and economic stability for the people and species that depend on these interconnected ecosystems.