A 14-year-old girl was killed by a lioness on Saturday night at a ranch bordering the southern edge of Nairobi National Park, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed.
According to KWS Senior Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto, the lioness entered a residential compound after jumping over a makeshift fence.
The animal then proceeded into a house, where it attacked the girl, who was with another teenager at the time.
The second teenager raised the alarm, prompting a swift response from KWS rangers and emergency personnel.
Upon arrival, the team followed a trail of bloodstains that led to the nearby Mbagathi River, where the girl’s body was discovered with injuries to her lower back.
Nairobi National Park sits just 10 kilometres from the city centre and is home to a variety of wildlife including lions, giraffes, leopards, and cheetahs.
While the park is fenced on three sides to keep the animals in, the southern side is left open for migration — which means animals occasionally stray into nearby communities.
Human-wildlife conflict does happen in Kenya, especially when lions go after livestock, but fatal attacks on people are rare.
In a separate and equally tragic incident, a 54-year-old man was killed by an elephant in Nyeri County, about 130km north of Nairobi, on the same day.
The man had entered Mere Forest to graze his animals when the elephant attacked, causing severe chest injuries and internal trauma.
The victim sustained serious chest injuries, fractured ribs, and internal trauma. He was transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
More: BBC
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