Fencing Nairobi park will end conflict, says wildlife agency

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director-General Kitili Mbathi (left) addresses the media at KWS headquarters on April 1, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

What you need to know:

  • The service said the rampant movement of lions may have been caused by the disruption of their habitat by the construction activities going on in and around the park.
  • KWS also defended the rangers who killed a lion in Isinya on Wednesday, saying they did it to protect the people near the big cat from harm.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Friday said it may have to fence the entire Nairobi National Park in order to contain the animals and reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

The service said the rampant movement of lions may have been caused by the disruption of their habitat by the construction activities going on in and around the park.

KWS also defended the rangers who killed a lion in Isinya on Wednesday, saying they did it to protect the people near the big cat from harm.

Although reports from insider sources indicated the killing of Mohawk, with nine bullets, sparked divergent opinion within the service, the director-general, Mr Kitili Mbathi, said the animal was too agitated to be left alive.

“At that particular time, the animal was dangerous to the public and we had to save human life by putting it down,” Mr Mbathi reiterated.

The agency’s head of veterinary services, Mr Francis Gakuya, said tranquillisers were not used to sedate the animal to render it harmless because the drugs are only handled by a few people, who are professionals.