Kenyan public warned as lions wander into Nairobi

Game wardens deployed to track down six lions that strayed from national park

Kenya Wildlife Service officers carrying tranquiliser guns take part in a search on Friday for   lions that  left a  national park and wandered into residential areas in Nairobi. Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
Kenya Wildlife Service officers carrying tranquiliser guns take part in a search on Friday for lions that left a national park and wandered into residential areas in Nairobi. Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images

Kenyan game wardens fanned out across a residential district in the capital on Friday to track down six lions that strayed out of Nairobi National Park, which lies on the outskirts of the city.

The Standard newspaper said the lions were spotted roaming the Langata area in the middle of the night, prompting the wildlife service to send in rangers.

“Our team has been has been on ground since 3am to ensure that the issue is contained and the lions are safely back,” it said in its Twitter feed, urging members of the public not to try to capture the lions on their own.

“Lions are dangerous wild animals. Don’t confront them when you encounter them,” it said.

READ SOME MORE

Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s oldest, is under pressure from the rapid growth of the capital over the last decade. Poachers have also taken their toll on the animal population, whose numbers have fallen drastically.

Reuters