Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Ten lions have been found dead in a suspected poisoning incident at Tanzania's UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area, according to local 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, Endulen Ward" read a statement put out by Ngorongoro authorities on late Saturday.
"Preliminary findings suggest the animals may have died after ingesting poison," the statement revealed.
"The authority has launched a full expert investigation to determine the cause of the incident and identify those responsible. Further updates will be issued as the investigation progresses."
Ngorongoro has been the scene of long-standing tensions between the authorities and the local nomadic community. Clashes have sometimes turned deadly – especially since the government launched an eviction program 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 in 2026.
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 for sure whether the deaths were accidental or deliberate.