Nairobi residents panic as lions stray out of park

Kenya Wildlife Services warders search for a lioness and its cub in the area of Kibra and National Housing Corporation houses. The lions are said to have been spotted by passers-by around National Housing Corporation which borders Kibra. PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

KENYA: Majority of Kibera residents had to lock themselves up after several lions strayed out of the nearby Nairobi National Park.

Friday, Lindi area locals were in panic after news spread of the stray lions. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) tweeted that six lions wandered into residential areas at night, though the exact location remained unclear.

“Lions are dangerous wild animals. Don’t confront them when you encounter them,” Paul Udoto, the KWS spokesman tweeted.

A fearful city resident tweeted Mr Udoto asking whether she ought to ‘lock my kids in’. In response, Udoto advised her to keep her children locked inside until the lions had been safely returned to the park, adding such incidents were the “perils of born-town lions”.

It was an advice that Lindi residents, heeded to and locked up their children only occasionally peeping through the narrow allays of the congested slums.

Hiding place

Their fears that the lions could be in their midst were confirmed by the heavy presence of KWS officers. Donning jungle fatigues while armed with G3 and AK 47 rifles, the KWS guards trudged across Lang’ata into Kibera and adjacent estates as two helicopters hovered in the skies.

Few residents gathered enough courage and ventured out of their houses.

Walter Juma, a boda boda operator in Lindi narrated to The Standard on Saturday how his friend spotted two lions in a nearby thicket not far from the Southern bypass.

“He said he was on his way to work when he saw them. He turned back and ran for his dear life,” said Juma. The news spread fast among residents of nearby estates.

Joy Odhiambo, a mother of two, who lives in Moi Estate in Lang’ata was alerted by her mother of what was happening.

“My mother called to inform me about the stray lions after hearing the news on the radio. Since 6am I have not left the house,” said Odhiambo.

Mrs Odhiambo told The Standard on Saturday that she fears letting her three-year-old son to play outside. She said: “I am scared. I cannot move around comfortably unless the lions are flushed out of their hiding place.”

The Head of Nairobi National Park, Nelly Palmeris, said the straying of lions in the park has been on for the last one week.

She said KWS received reports of lions at Lang’ata Barracks that strayed out of the park a week ago and have been trying all their best to get them in the park.

She said: “The vegetation in the park and the barracks is similar but there is an electric fence separating the two to ensure that the animals do not stray out of the park and cause harm.” Palmeris explained that a lioness made her way out of the park to the Barracks and every time they captured and took it back, it kept on returning to the Barracks.

She explained: “There was a lioness that made her way out of the park to the Barracks and every time we get it to the park, we get reports so soon that it gets back to the Barracks. We had to first identify where it was straying through and sealed it off. Two days ago, we found out that the lion had decided to give birth inside the Barracks.” She appealed to the public to be vigilant and report to KWS if they see the missing lions. The toll free number to call is 0800 221566.