KWS hunt another stray lion in Karen

What you need to know:

  • The lion is believed to have entered the grounds of a private ranch along Maasai Lane.
  • He urged the public in the area to be vigilant and contact the KWS if they spot the big cat.

Kenya Wildlife Service rangers are hunting down a lion that was reportedly seen in Karen on Monday night after escaping from the Nairobi National Park.

KWS Head of Corporate Communications Paul Masela Gathitu said private guards reported the incident to Hardy Police Station.

He said the guards reported that they saw the lion in Hardy, Karen.

The lion is believed to have entered a private ranch along Maasai Lane.

“The foot prints of a medium sized lion are seen going in and out of the private property,” he said adding that rangers are combing the area in search of the stray lion.

The lion is suspected to be hiding in the forested area of International Union for Conservation of Nature, Institute of Primate Research and Giraffe Centre.

Mr Gathithu said in a phone interview that the thick bushes in the area are making it difficult to trace the animal.

“We still don’t have evidence of where the lion crossed through but it seems to have gotten out of the park near Banda School,” he said.

He urged the public in the area to be vigilant and contact the KWS if they spot the big cat.

KWS has in the recent weeks been dealing with cases runaway lions.

The lions have been escaping from the park and stray into neighbouring residential estates.

On March 31, a lion named Mohawk was killed by KWS rangers after it wandered off the park and attacked a man on the Isinya-Kiserian road, sparking outrage by the public and conservationists.

KWS spokesperson Mr Paul Udoto however said lions have strayed into Karen area before.

“It is only now that people are beginning to report about it,” he said.

“Lions rarely attack people. There are cases where they attack livestock. People's behaviour such as making noise, hooting and following them (lions) around in cars make the animal feel threatened and it may attack,” he said.