Panic as Stray Lion Mauls Man Outside Nairobi National Park

People living near Nairobi National Park are living in fear after a man was mauled to death by a stray lion over the weekend.

Following the incident, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned that the lion was still on the loose but a search operation to locate and sedate it had been launched.

“We are reaching out to the family of the deceased with a view to visiting and consoling with them. KWS urges members of the public to stay calm and not to venture out at night until the lion is captured,” KWS said in a statement.

KWS indicated that the lion killed the man outside the park’s southern periphery. The man identified as Rono Kipkurui Simon was heading home from work when the attack occurred. His head and arm were found on Monday morning by a passer-by at a bridge near Nazarene University, a few kilometers from Ongata Rongai town.

Nairobi National Park is ringed by electric fencing in parts but is not entirely sealed off, enabling animals to sneak out in search of food. Incidents of wild animals such as lions, leopards, and hyenas escaping from the park and wandering into residential areas are common. 

In March 2016, a lion was shot dead after it sneaked out of the park and attacked and injured a man.