Outrage over killing of stray lion

It was a brutal and bloody end for the lion that escaped from the Nairobi national park when it was shot dead after it attacked a man on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital.

The dark-maned lion was gunned down by the Kenya Wildlife Service after it was spotted roaming in Isinya area of Kajiado, more than 15km from the capital Nairobi. The killing has been met with outrage with Kenyans accusing the KWS rangers of being too cruel to the animal. Some suggested shooting to death was a harsh punishment for the lion, which mauled a man after being excited by curious onlookers.



Kenyans on Twitter and Facebook criticised KWS for the action. The rangers should have imobilised the lion using tranquilisers as in usually the case because the lion was not on the rampage.

“Once again shows humans are the problem on this planet. So sad,” said Mark Kapchanga, a former investigative reporter with the Standard newspaper. Titus Kirui had this to say: “KWS Rangers are useless. Was it necessary to kill the animal? Don’t they have tranquilizers?

The lion is believed to have wandered out of Nairobi National Park on Tuesday night was spotted in Isinya Plains near County Resort.



Jason Parantai, a farmer who lives near the resort on Isinya-Kiserian Road, said he spotted the animal at 6am and alerted the police. By 9am, the area had been surrounded by armed regular and administration police under the command of Isinya deputy county commissioner David Kipkemei.

Kipkemei said Kenya Wildlife Service rangers from the county were the first to arrive but did not have tranquilizer guns. He said they asked officers at the KWS headquarters in Nairobi to help transport the lion back before it harmed people.

Nairobi lawyer Donald B Kipkorir said on Twitter: Lions of Nairobi National Park are voting with their feet against apparent broken down KWS. When is the Board & Management of KWS resigning?
Muganda Clay ‏of Standard newspapers: Well, @kwskenya has sent out the wrong message. Now every idiot with a gun will kill & claim lion left Nairobi National Park & attacked him

The lion had been charging at the officers and could have escaped and caused havoc, he added. KWS spokesman Paul Gathitu said the man who was injured was part of a crowd that had gathered. He said the lion attacked him out of agitation.

Gathitu said the rangers intended to tranquilize the lion and take it back to the park tranquilizer guns are only available at the headquarters. He said the lion was killed to prevent further harm.

KWS Communication manager Paul Udoto told Reuters on phone: “It had injured somebody. There was a crowd that had formed around it, so it was practically impossible to capture it the way we planned to.”

In previous incidents this year the lions have either been herded back to the park or have returned on their own. The reserve is surrounded by a fast-growing city of over four million people. Earlier this month a 63-year old man was injured when a lion clawed at him on Mombasa road near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where motorists were honking and snapping photographs and videos.