14-Year-Old Girl Mauled To Death By Lion After Being Snatched From Ranch Near National Park
According to officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the teen had been walking near the southern end of the park on Saturday, April 19, when she was taken by the predator from within a residential compound.
Nairobi National Park is known for housing a wide range of wildlife, including lions, giraffes, leopards, crocodiles, and buffalos, as noted on the KWS website.
While most of the park is surrounded by fencing to protect people and animals alike, the southern side is intentionally left open so animals can roam freely across the plains.
KWS stated that after the girl was attacked and dragged away, another teenager who witnessed the horrifying scene quickly raised the alarm and contacted local authorities for help.
Although the lion responsible for the attack wasn’t located at the time, officials confirmed that traps have been set up in the area and search teams are actively looking for the animal.
The BBC noted that while lions in Kenya do occasionally come into contact with humans, fatal attacks like this one are considered extremely rare.
Tragically, this wasn’t the only recent human-wildlife encounter. On Friday, April 18 just one day earlier—a 54-year-old man was killed by an elephant while grazing livestock in Nyeri County.
He was taken to the hospital but sadly passed away after suffering fractured ribs, internal injuries, and severe trauma to his chest.
As reported by CNN, the wildlife authority said that both tragic incidents show how important it is to continue investing in ways to reduce human-wildlife conflict. This includes things like early warning systems, better coordination with local communities, and other strategic safety measures.
Paula Kahumbu, the CEO of conservation group WildlifeDirect, also weighed in. She urged KWS to step up their efforts in assessing risk and to make sure that real-time updates about animal movements and behavior are clearly communicated especially in high-risk areas like Savannah Ranch, where the teen girl lost her life, according to the BBC.
