A teenage girl, aged 14, lost her life after a lion escaped from Nairobi National Park in Kenya on the night of April 19, wildlife authorities reported. The lion entered a residential compound near the Kenyan capital by leaping over a temporary fence.
The girl, whose identity has not been disclosed, was with a friend inside the residence when the lion attacked her and dragged her away. Her friend quickly contacted authorities, leading to the involvement of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“KWS rangers and response teams were swiftly mobilized and traced bloodstains leading to the Mbagathi River, where the girl’s body was recovered with injuries on the lower back,” the agency said in a statement.
The attack occurred at a ranch on the southern boundary of Nairobi National Park. The park, located about six miles from downtown Nairobi, houses diverse wildlife such as cheetahs, leopards, lions, buffalo, and giraffes.
In response to the incident, KWS officials have set up a trap and sent out search teams to capture the lion, which remained at large. The agency also increased security measures to prevent future attacks in the vicinity.
KWS noted that the attack might have been caused by a “scarcity of prey in her natural range,” with no signs of provocation from the individuals involved.
Nairobi National Park is enclosed on three sides to keep animals within its boundaries, but its southern edge is left open to facilitate wildlife migration. While this setup supports natural migration, it poses challenges in managing human-wildlife conflicts.
This incident follows another fatal attack the previous day, when a 54-year-old man was killed by an elephant in central Nyeri County, about 80 miles north of Nairobi. The man was reportedly herding livestock in a forest when the elephant attacked.
These consecutive fatal incidents underscore the ongoing tension between human settlements and wildlife in Kenya. While lions often come into conflict with humans over livestock, fatal attacks on humans are rare.
Last year, a similar event took place when a lion took a Rottweiler dog from another home near the national park.
Paula Kahumbu, head of the WildlifeDirect conservation group, commented that these consecutive deaths are not isolated events. She emphasized the need for KWS to enhance risk assessments and communicate wildlife movements and behaviors accurately and in real-time, particularly in high-risk areas like Savannah Ranch.
Kahumbu also recommended that all lodges, camps, and residential developments near wildlife reserves should have “anti-predator deterrent systems — including lights, alarms, secure fencing, and anti-predator sprays. Prevention is our first and best line of defense.”
KWS is reportedly working with local law enforcement and communities to improve safety measures and strengthen security for people living near wildlife areas. The organization mentioned that these attacks are linked to broader ecological pressures and human intrusion into wildlife habitats.
In response to rising concerns, KWS is also looking into enhanced security measures, including electric fencing and AI systems, to alert residents to nearby wildlife movements, providing early warnings of potential threats.
This is not the first incident of lions escaping from Nairobi National Park. In 2021, a young male lion entered a residential area in Ongata Rongai, causing alarm among residents. KWS was able to capture and return the lion to the park on that occasion.
Several similar incidents have occurred in previous years when lions escaped from the park and entered the city.
Conservationists assert that lions originally inhabited these areas before human settlements expanded, and the encroachment of residential developments into wildlife habitats significantly contributes to these conflicts. The loss of habitat for lions in Kenya has led to increased encounters with humans, placing pressure on conservation efforts.