KWS Issues Statement After Maasai Morans Kill 6 Lions

A photo of lions at the Nairobi National Park taken on August 5, 2020.
A photo of lions at the Nairobi National Park taken on August 5, 2020.
Photo
KWS

Maasai morans on Saturday, May 13 killed 6 lions that had invaded homes at Mbirikani- Amboseli near Oloitokitok in Kajiado County.

According to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the lions were killed by Maasai warriors after they killed 11 goats and a dog. 

“The lions killed eleven goats and one dog last night. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident as over the last week, four other lions have been killed resulting in a total of ten lions killed in the Amboseli ecosystem,” read part of a statement by KWS.

As a result, KWS Board of Trustees Chairman, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Walter Raria Koipaton, and Acting Director General, Dr. Erustus Kanga held a meeting with the local community in Kajiado South Sub County to address recent incidences of human-wildlife conflict in the area.

KWS officials and members of the community during a meeting on issues of human-wildlife conflicts at Mbirikani on May 13, 2023.
KWS officials and members of the community during a meeting on issues of human-wildlife conflicts at Mbirikani, Kajiado County on May 13, 2023.
Photo
KWS

“The KWS officials engaged the community in an effort to find lasting solutions that will address the conflict while protecting both human lives and wildlife,” read part of the KWS statement.

Koipaton emphasized on the need to minimise the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities of the presence of wildlife in their vicinity. 

The KWS Director General emphasised the importance of balancing the needs of the local communities with the need to protect wildlife. 

Dr. Kanga urged members of the community to report any incidents of human-wildlife conflict to KWS and assured them that they will work together to find lasting solutions to the conflicts.

“KWS is dedicated to safeguarding Kenya's wildlife and ensuring that wildlife continues to be an integral part of Kenya’s heritage,” stated Dr. Kanga. 

He also assured Kenyans that KWS was working towards creating a peaceful co-existence between humans and wildlife in the country.

KWS released a statement two days after a Kenyan lion believed to have been the world's oldest in the wild was killed by Maasai herders.

The 19-year-old male lion, Loonkito, was speared to death by Maasai warriors after straying into a livestock pen on the outskirts of Amboseli National Park.

According to the conservation group Cats for Africa, African lions typically have a lifespan of up to 18 years in the wild.

KWS in 2021 described Loonkito as a legendary big cat warrior who had defended his territory for over a decade. 

A photo of a lion at the Nairobi National Park taken on August 10, 2020.
A photo of a lion at the Nairobi National Park taken on August 10, 2020.
Photo
KWS
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