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According to reports, little Kimutai, a three-year-old child from Kenya, died hours after ingesting carbofuran, an odorless pesticide used to control insects on many crops including rice, beans, bananas, pineapple, coffee and vegetables. 

But the highly toxic pesticide, sold under the name Furadan and manufactured by Farm Machinery and Chemicals Corporation (FMC), is also used by cattle herders for different reasons.  Furadan is often added to carcasses in order to poison and kill lions, hyenas and other wildlife that prey on livestock.

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Kimutai’s father, Nahashon Kigai, purchased the Furadan several months ago to use on his vegetable garden.  The father, who is a school teacher,  placed the pesticide in a small container.  He said it was apparent Kimutai found the container and ate the pesticide because he had it on his hand and in his mouth.   Shortly after ingestion, the child began showing symptoms of paralysis and went unconscious.  Sadly, the child died October 26th and was later laid to rest.  No toxicology tests were performed. 

Although the father knew the product was harmful to wildlife, he did not know it was toxic to humans.  According to FMC spokesman Jim Fitzwater, the company is investigating the case and has “directed its team members in Kenya to gather more facts.”

Wildlife Poisoning

The powerful product, sold in both liquid and granular form, is sprinkled around seeds when planting crops.  Unfortunately, birds often mistake the granular form of the pesticide for seeds, and die shortly after ingesting the product.

• According to reports, at least four lions and several hippos died in 2008 after ingesting the product in Kenya’s Masai Mana National Reserve.  The hippo, along with a lion that had to be euthanized, both tested positive for the pesticide. 
• In 2004, nearly 200 vultures and several hyenas died after ingesting carbofuran near the Athi River in Kenya. 
• In Croatia, 17 Eurasian Griffon vultures died after being poisoned with the pesticide meant to kill wild boars that were reportedly destroying crops.
• It is estimated that Furadan has killed 76 lions, 15 hyenas, 24 hippos, more than 250 vultures and thousands of birds in Kenya.
• Earlier this month, 45-year-old Eric Laney Bryant pled guilty to poisoning wildlife after injecting carbofuran into deer meat on his property in order to kill coyotes.   According to reports, the Missouri Department of Conservation found three dead domestic dogs, several dead coyotes, a dead grey fox, a dead red-tailed hawk, three dead crows and a dead skunk on his property.  He was fined $500.

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FMC

According to the company, the product is “clearly intended to be used for crop protection.”   In response to the July rebroadcasting of the popular CBS News 60 Minutes program on Kenyan Lion Poisonings, FMC “strongly condemns the misuse of its products.”    The company has taken several measures to address the concerns.  Some of the measures include:

• According to the company website,  a FMC team was sent to Kenya in 2008 and again in April 2009, to get a “more comprehensive understanding of intentional misuse of chemicals in the longstanding human-wildlife conflict.”
• In 2008, FMC stopped selling the product in Kenya. 
• In 2009, a buyback program began in Kenya to remove any pesticide that remains in the market.
• In 2009, Furadan sales were discontinued in Tanzania and Uganda.

But despite these measures, conservationists say some stores in rural communities in Kenya still carry the cheap pesticide.   Labeling on the product is not only difficult to understand, but the labels are in English.  Packaging in Kenya reportedly does not carry the skull and crossbones symbol, the symbol recognized universally for death.

Photo David Dennis

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