Kajiado locals ki*l 10 lions in one week

Tension remains high after residents of Loitoktok, Kajiado South sub county killed ten lions within the Amboseli ecosystem within the last one week amid escalating human wildlife conflict.

In three separate incidents, the locals speared to death the lions prompting Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officers to hold a crisis meeting in the area and launch intense patrols in the area.

On Saturday, angry locals overpowered KWS officers and killed six lions in broad daylight in a retaliation attack after a pride of lions attacked and killed eleven sheep and a dog at a homestead in Mbirikani.

Armed with spears and other crude weapons, agitated locals gained forceful entry to Big Life Foundation headquarters killing six lions as KWS and police officers helplessly watched.

According to the Big Life Foundation, the lions were among the nine that killed sheep before straying to the conservancy which is a few meters away.

The conservancy management was holding them for the safety of human beings before tracking them to their habitat when the angry locals struck.  “A crowd continued to build and tensions spilled over when a group of 60 to 80 people broke through the compound. In a statement to the media, the conservancy foundation which is among the largest entities managing Amboseli national park stated that the attackers were angry and risked human life.

KWS officials led by its chair Raria Koipaton and acting Director General Erustas Kanga convened a crisis meeting with locals to resolve the rampant conflicts that threatened human and wildlife peaceful co-existence.

The officials urged the community to exploit alternative dispute resolution to protect wildlife and safeguard human beings.

The killings come barely three days after residents of Ilkilunyeti village killed the oldest lion within Amboseli national park. The popular nineteen-year-old lion that has been preying alone since 2017 after being isolated by others had strayed into a farmer’s home at around 9pm before being speared to death.

The rampant human wildlife conflict in the area comes amid the loss hundreds of cattle that succumbed to hunger during the prolonged drought experienced in the region for two years.