10 lions killed in conflict with Kenyan herders

Loonkiito, one of Africa's oldest lions, was killed at the age of 19 last week.

CNN quoted the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) as saying on May 14 that 10 lions were killed in southern Kenya over the past week, including 6 lions killed on May 13 alone as conflicts between humans and wildlife in the region escalated.

A KWS spokesperson said it was "an unusually large number of lions killed at one time".

The news comes after conservationists said earlier last week that Loonkiito, one of Africa's oldest lions, had been killed at the age of 19.

According to the conservation organization Lion Guardians, Loonkiito ventured out of the protected area and into a cattle pen due to hunger. This led to Loonkiito being killed by the herders.

Lion Guardians said human-lion conflicts often increase at the end of droughts because wild prey becomes harder to hunt. Meanwhile, livestock owners are “especially vigilant” after losing so many livestock. Kenya is currently experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.

The six lions that died that day killed 11 goats and a dog, KWS said in a press release on May 13.

The lions are all part of Kajiado County's Amboseli ecosystem, a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve near Mount Kilimanjaro, according to the United Nations.

Kenya Wildlife Service meets with residents to discuss recent wildlife encounters

KENYA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY

KWS held a meeting on May 13 attended by local people and government officials to discuss the recent lion killings.

“Discussions focused on finding ways to reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities to the presence of wildlife in their vicinity,” KWS said.

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