In the outskirts of Nairobi, a female lion has been reported to have entered people’s homes at night and taken away pets. One of the victims was a Rottweiler dog named Jaci, who belonged to Sylvia Wamai’s family. The sudden capture of their beloved pet left them shocked, as reported by the BBC on May 25.
Predators are now sneaking into homes and farms in the suburbs adjacent to Nairobi national park to hunt domestic animals due to harsh weather conditions and encroachment on wildlife habitats. This situation has become more serious in Nairobi due to these factors. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has increased monitoring in the area in an effort to limit conflicts between humans and wildlife.
Following the incident with Sylvia Wamai’s family, KWS deployed a human-wildlife conflict resolution team and assured the residents in the vicinity of the national park that patrols had been increased to prevent further attacks by lions. The heavy rains in Nairobi from late March to May had caused herbivores to migrate through unfenced areas of Nairobi national park to populated areas. This migration led to predators following the herbivores, resulting in incidents like domestic dogs being consumed.
More than 80% of the perimeter of Nairobi National Park is fenced, providing protection for much of the capital from wild animal attacks, according to KWS. The agency advised people living near wildlife areas to be cautious and report any sightings of predators to the rangers. The African lion, which mainly resides in sub-Saharan Africa, is the only cat species that lives in groups. They are the second-largest cat in the family, with males protecting the pride’s territory and females being the main hunters. Their prey includes antelopes, zebras, wildebeests, and other mammals.
