Ten lions die in suspected poisoning at Tanzania wildlife reserve

Ten lions have been found dead in a suspected poisoning incident at Tanzania's UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area, according to the authorities.

"The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) regrets to inform the public that ten (10) lions were found dead on 18 September 2026 in the Ndutu area," reads the statement from late Saturday.

Authorities said preliminary findings suggest that the lions died after "ingesting poison", adding that an expert investigation was ongoing "to determine the cause of the incident and identify those responsible".

Ngorongoro has been the scene of long-standing tensions between the authorities and the local nomadic community. Clashes have sometimes turned deadly since the government launched an eviction programme in 2022.

The Tanzanian government argues that population growth is encroaching on wildlife habitat, with the number of people living in Ngorongoro rising from about 8,000 in 1959 to more than 100,000.

Since June, at least 20 elephants have died in Kenya's Amboseli ecosystem, near the Tanzanian border, from suspected pesticide poisoning, although authorities could not establish whether the deaths were accidental or deliberate.