Lion kills 14-year-old girl outside Kenya’s Nairobi National Park

CNN A -year-old girl was killed by a lioness outside the Kenyan capital Nairobi when she was snatched at a ranch bordering the southern edge of a national park the Kenya Wildlife Facility KWS stated Sunday The animal had entered a residential compound near Nairobi National Park on Saturday night after jumping over a makeshift fence KWS Senior Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto stated CNN The lioness then entered a house and attacked the girl who was inside with a second teenager There is no evidence of provocation from the sufferers Udoto noted The second teenager straightaway raised the alarm prompting KWS rangers and exigency teams to respond to the episode Upon arrival the unit traced bloodstains leading to the Mbagathi River where the girl s body was recovered with injuries on her lower back Leadership have set a trap and deployed teams to search for the lioness They are also trying to reinforce protection measures including electric fencing and AI-powered early warning systems to notify communities of nearby animal movements Udoto noted Separate animal attack In a different episode on Friday an elephant attacked a -year-old man while he was grazing livestock at a forest in Kenya s Nyeri County The man sustained chest injuries fractured ribs and internal trauma and was declared dead upon arriving at a hospital KWS noted The agency added that both attacks underscore a need for continued outlay in human-wildlife conflict mitigation through strategic interventions early warning systems and strengthened collaboration with affected communities KWS teams are still exploring the attacks but preliminary findings suggest both are linked to broader ecological pressures and human encroachment on wildlife habitats Udoto stated KWS subjects the lioness was disoriented or diverted from her normal hunting behavior due to a scarcity of prey in her natural range and increasing human activity around the park Udoto added The elephant meanwhile attacked the victim after he entered the forest to graze livestock It was the human activity that encroached upon the animal s range creating conditions for conflict Udoto declared KWS conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and continues to work closely with local law enforcement and communities to enhance the safety of people living near protected wildlife areas the agency explained Lion and elephant attacks are considered relatively rare but they can happen in isolated areas near national parks and meeting reserves Lion attacks account for less than of all communicated incidents involving humans and wildlife Udoto disclosed Elephant-related incidents are more common and tend to happen during dry seasons when the animals migrate in search of water and food and encounter farmland or settlements Udoto added