An elderly Tanzanian man was killed by an elephant while collecting firewood in a forest in Kinango, Kwale County.
The incident was reported to police on Friday at about 3.20pm by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials in Kwale, who said the man’s body was lying in the forest after he was fatally attacked by an elephant.
Police officers accompanied by KWS rangers from the Kinango Sub-station, travelled to the area to search for the body.
The search team reportedly encountered difficulties navigating the wilderness and at one point lost their way before locating the scene late Friday night.
Police established that the deceased was a Tanzanian national known by the alias Ngoria and believed to be about 80 years old. He had reportedly lived in Kenya for many years, where he engaged in charcoal business.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the man had ventured into the forest to collect firewood when he encountered a lone elephant, which attacked and killed him.
His body was retrieved and taken to Kinango Mortuary on Saturday morning, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
Police and wildlife authorities are also seeking to establish and trace the deceased’s relatives.
Officials advised the family to file a claim.
Authorities have been running campaigns to address the conflict and anger surrounding the same.
In May 2025, Kenya introduced the third phase of its Human–Wildlife Conflict Compensation Programme, an initiative aimed at addressing these incidents and supporting affected families.
During its launch at Meru National Park, President William Ruto unveiled the innovative Wildlife Conservation Card, a new tool designed to help fund conservation efforts.
“Compensation is justice, but prevention is progress,” Ruto said, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.
“Through the Conservation Card, fencing, and community‑led tourism, we are turning conflict into opportunity,” he added.
Developed in partnership with KCB Bank, the Wildlife Conservation Card is available in three tiers—Platinum (Elephant), Gold (Lion), and Silver (Cheetah).
A portion of every transaction made with the card (Sh10, Sh5, and Sh3, respectively) goes directly to the Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund.
The initiative aims to enable Kenyans and international supporters to contribute to wildlife conservation while fostering economic benefits for local communities.
With this new approach, Kenya hopes to build a future where humans and wildlife can coexist more safely and sustainably.
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