In a community in Laikipia County where incidents of human/wildlife interactions are on the rise, a 52-year-old man was killed by an elephant on Friday as he was making his way to a store.
As Mr Peter Njoroge and his two colleagues walked to Mugumo Shopping Centre in Segera Ward, the lone elephant, which had been hiding in the thicket, charged at them.
The two were able to flee, but the jumbo caught up with them and threw Njoroge into the air with its trunk before trampling on him as he cried for help.
“He was attempting to escape by going through an electric fence, but he was unlucky.” “We only got away because we ducked into the thicket while the deceased took the straight path in an attempt to outrun the charging elephant,” Mr David Muriithi explained.
Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muli confirmed the incident, saying his office was consulting with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and that plans to establish a special unit in the area bordering the Lol Daiga Wildlife Conservancy were in the works.
“We had a special KWS unit that dealt with human/wildlife conflict cases, but it was relocated to the Laikipia West Constituency near Rumuruti Town.” “We are in talks with KWS to bring the camp back so that they can assist in driving marauding animals to the sanctuary,” Mr Muli said.
He stated that wild animals typically escape from the Lolldaiga and Ole Naishu conservancies in search of pasture, destroying crops on farms and killing or maiming people.
According to Segera MCE-elect Salim Endong, the conflicts will end only when an electric fence is built around the two wildlife conservancies.
“The two wildlife conservancies should take a leaf out of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which confines wild animals with an electric fence.” “With the current drought, we are likely to see more attacks in the coming days,” the ward said.