Wild Animals Kill Four People in Separate Incidents

At least four people were separately killed and eaten up by wild animals near two national parks in the country.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the incidents happened in Mulot, Narok County and Mutuati in Igembe in Meru County.

The incidents are under probe after the body parts of the four victims were recovered at the sites. The first incident happened in Serekani sub-location in Narok, which is near the Maasai Mara National Park.

Herdsmen who were at the site grazing their cattle spotted the remains of a human being in the park.

Police officers together with KWS officers visited the scene and found the remains of one Barmais Tingisha. The victim was said to be mentally challenged and had gone missing since last Sunday until Tuesday when the remains were found.

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Police said they moved the remains to the mortuary pending autopsy and further probe.

In Mutuati, parts of human bodies were found having been eaten by the wild animals at Zima Miendo areas. Officials who visited the scene said that three people were suspected to have been killed and mauled by wild animals.

Locals identified the deceased as Majira Njeru, Benard Kinyua, and Mutheki Manyara.

They alleged that they left home for Kinna Isiolo to buy cattle as they were businessmen operating between Kinna Isolo and Tharaka.

It is believed they were attacked by animals from the Meru National Park and killed before being eaten up.

The scene was processed and the body parts were moved to the Nyambene sub-county morgue for autopsy.

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Multi-agency teams are investigating the incidents.

Such incidents of human-wild animals conflicts have been on the rise in the area and places near national parks.

Many wild animals stray from major parks to villages. KWS has mounted a campaign to address the menace, which includes fencing the areas.

The government and conservation groups have a compensation program for people and herders whose livestock is killed by wild animals.

But herders have become more protective after losing livestock to a drought that has been termed the worst in decades in the East Africa region.

Officials said the loss of habitat and climate change threatened the number of wild animals the wild and that their future looked “bleak”.

The officials say policies aimed at enabling communities to co-exist with wildlife were vital.