Ten lions found dead in Tanzania's Ngorongoro, poisoning suspected

Ten lions have been found dead in Tanzania's Ngorongoro wildlife reserve, and early findings indicate the animals may have been poisoned, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority said in a statement released late on Saturday.

The carcasses were discovered on September 18 in the Ndutu area of Endulen Ward in the Arusha region, according to the authority.

"Preliminary findings suggest the animals may have died after ingesting poison," the authority said, adding that an investigation has been opened to establish the cause of death and to identify those responsible.

The deaths have raised concern for the conservation of lions in one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife ecosystems. Poisoning has repeatedly threatened large carnivores in parts of East Africa, with such incidents often tied to conflicts between predators and livestock owners.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Tanzania, is a major draw for the country's tourism industry and shelters a broad range of species, among them lions, elephants, buffaloes and the endangered black rhino.

The incident comes after police last month arrested four suspects in an investigation into the deaths of 18 elephants across the border in Kenya.