Lions and elephants attack two people to death in Kenya

Kenya - Photo 1.

A lion is seen at Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya on February 23 - Photo: XINHUA

According to CNN on April 20, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said that over the weekend there were two incidents of wild animal attacks on people, killing a 14-year-old girl and a 54-year-old man.

The first incident occurred on the evening of April 19 at a farm near Nairobi National Park. A lioness jumped over a temporary fence, sneaked into a residential area and broke into a house where two teenagers were inside.

The 14-year-old girl was attacked and dragged away by the lion, while the other teenager managed to scream for help. Paul Udoto, senior communications manager for KWS, said the investigation did not find any signs that the victims had provoked the animal.

KWS officers then rushed to the scene and followed the blood trail to the Mbagathi River, where the girl's body was found with injuries to her lower back, but the animal was no longer at the scene.

KWS said it has now set traps and deployed teams to search for the animal, while also enhancing safety measures such as electric fencing and an AI-powered early warning system.

A day earlier, in another attack in Nyeri County, a 54-year-old man was attacked by an elephant while grazing cattle in the forest. The victim suffered serious chest injuries and broken ribs and died on the way to hospital.

Both incidents reflect growing human-wildlife conflict in Kenya, largely caused by human encroachment on wildlife's natural habitats.

KWS said the lion may have become disoriented due to a lack of natural food sources and the increased human presence around the national park. Meanwhile, the elephant attack was caused by humans encroaching on their habitat.

The agency expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and stressed the need to invest in solutions to reduce human-animal conflict.

Although lion and elephant attacks are considered quite rare in Kenya, there is still a high risk in areas near national parks and reserves.