Elephant attacks, injures two people in Tharaka-Nithi

Two people, a man and a woman, are nursing serious injuries at PCEA Chogoria Mission Hospital in Tharaka-Nithi County after they were attacked by a stray elephant.

A 95-year-old Mrs Joyce Mungai Kanampui and Mr Duncan Njagi, 61, from Majira village in Maara Sub-County were on Sunday attacked by the elephant as it escaped from angry residents who were hurling stones at it.

Maara OCPD Johnson Kabusia told journalists that the two were attacked while in their homes as residents chased the elephant with stones, threatening to kill it for meat.

“The granny has been seriously trampled on by the elephant and left for dead while the man has been injured on the head and ribs,” said Mr Kabusia.

He said the elephant, which arrived at the village on Saturday evening and spent the night in a thicket, could have strayed from Meru National Park as the neighbouring Mount Kenya National Park has a secure electric wire.

Mr Kabusia said some of the locals stoned police vehicles after the officers refused to shoot the animal so that they could celebrate.

“Whenever the wild animals escape from the park to the villages, residents should keep off and allow KWS officers to drive them back but they should not kill them,” he said.

Mr Julius Mutembei, a resident, told the Nation that they wanted to kill the animal for its meat as a revenge because it had destroyed a lot of crops.

“We want to kill the elephant and eat meat because we know KWS will not compensate us for the destroyed crops,” said Mr Mutembei.