Kenyan herders have killed 11 lions this past week, including the country’s oldest wild lion as officials express concern.
Officials and local residents in Kajiado County met on Sunday to address the spearings, which have resulted in the deaths of the 11 lions, the Kenya Wildlife Service said in a statement on Facebook.
KWS spokesperson Paul Jinaro said Loonkiito, the 19-year-old male lion killed by herders, wandered outside the Amboseli national park in search of food when he was killed. Six other lions from the same park were also killed.
“The KWS officials engaged the community in an effort to find lasting solutions that will address the conflict while protecting both human lives and wildlife,” the KWS said.
Herders break in and spear six lions kept in a compound
On Friday, nine lions broke into a livestock enclosure near the Mbirikani town and killed 12 goats and a dog, conservation group Big Life Foundation said in a news release.
Big Life wildlife rangers quickly responded and pushed the lions away from the homestead and into the group’s fenced headquarters nearby. The group moved three lions away from the area and left the other six inside the compound overnight, the group said.
The next day, a crowd of over a dozen people broke through the compound fence and speared all six lions.
“This incident exemplifies the ongoing need for Big Life’s predator protection programs,” the group said. “In the 20 years since, until today’s incident, only 13 [lions] have been killed.”
The government and conservation groups have a compensation program for herders who have their livestock killed by wild animals.
Herders have become more protective of their livestock after a drought, which has been termed as the worst in decades, hit the East African region.
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Contributing: The Associated Press
