A 14-year-old girl has been pronounced dead by medical experts after being devoured by a lion at a ranch bordering the southern edge of Kenya’s National Park.
The lion had entered a residential compound on the ranch near the National Park after jumping over a makeshift fence, where it attacked the teenager late at night.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), another teenager, who was with the victim when the incident occurred, raised the alarm, disclosing that the lion had dragged the victim and fled the compound
KWS Senior Corporate Communications Manager Udoto, told the newsmen yesterday, that the girl’s body was discovered in a nearby rivers after a search was conducted by the emergency team.
“Upon arrival, the team traced bloodstains leading to the Mbagathi River, where the girl’s body was recovered with injuries on her lower back. There is no evidence of provocation from the victims,” Udoto said.
Udoto stated that the lion has not been found but KWS had set a trap and deployed search teams to look for the animal.
The manager noted that additional security measures had been taken to prevent any further attacks.
Reacting to this incident, Head of the WildlifeDirect Conservation group, Paula Kahumbu, said the primary school girl’s death was not isolated and urged KWS to improve “risk assessments and ensure accurate, real-time communication of wildlife movement and behavior, especially in known high-risk areas such as Savannah Ranch,” where the 14-year-old was killed.
She also said that all lodges, camps, and residential developments near areas where wildlife lived should be “equipped with anti-predator deterrent systems – including lights, alarms, secure fencing, and anti-predator sprays”.
“Prevention is our first and best line of defense,” she added
