A group of eight stray elephants brought a section of Mombasa Road to a standstill on Tuesday, September 7.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the stray elephants crossed the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway, causing traffic disruption at Mariakani area, Kilifi County.
Vehicles and motorcycles could be heard honking as the herd of elephants crossed the highway.
Residents watched the spectacle from a distance as the elephants trooped into one of the villages in Mariakani.
At some point in the video, one of the elephants leading the park turned towards a private car that had stopped on the road. This caused panic among some of the residents who thought it would charge towards the vehicle.
"Oh my God, look out for that motorist!" one of the witnesses exclaimed.
The elephant then proceeded to the other side of the road. In what can only be termed as a daring move, some of the residents followed the elephants.
Reports indicate that the elephants invaded the village in Mariakani in search of water amid the drought experienced in the area.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) response team dispatched a team from Mombasa Marine Park who were working to handle the situation. They trailed the elephants, which they explained were initially migrating to Tsavo but diverted back to Mariakani due to disturbance by spectators.
The elephants are currently safe in a forest within Mariakani Army Barracks.
KWS has on several occasions warned motorists and pedestrians against honking or screaming when they encounter wild animals. This may agitate the animals, causing them to attack.
On August 17, two stray elephants were spotted in Isiolo Town. In the incident, a 20-year-old man sustained injuries after the two elephants trampled on him.
In a separate incident, KWS officers were forced to open fire at an elephant in Voi on August 31 to rescue passengers trapped in a private vehicle. The passengers were stuck after hitting the elephant, causing it to land on the car.
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