Woman hospitalised after elephant attack
A stray elephant at Gaketha in Tharaka-Nithi County on January 4, 2017. A woman is nursing injuries at Chogoria Mission Hospital after she was attacked by an elephant in the village. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Elisaban Miriti, a member of the Community Forest Association, said the elephant was part of a herd that had strayed from Mt Kenya National Park.
A woman in Tharaka-Nithi County is recuperating at Chogoria Mission Hospital after she was attacked by an elephant.
Celina Mwiti was coming from a meeting accompanied by two other women when the jumbo attacked her on Wednesday evening in Gaketha village.
Elisaban Miriti, a member of the Community Forest Association, said the elephant was part of a herd that had strayed from Mt Kenya National Park.
"The elephant chased the three, knocking Ms Mwiti down. It pierced her in the right thigh before residents rescued her," Mr Miriti said.
He urged locals to remain vigilant especially in the evening and in the early mornings when elephants leave the forest to feed on crops in farms.
"There is a risk of locals being attacked by the elephants because they are now out of the forest," he said.
The residents have urged the Kenya Wildlife Service to compensate those injured and improve their security to prevent animals from wandering out of the park.
"We are very worried, because our children go to school very early in the morning when these elephants are still in the village," said Mary Karithi, a resident.
