Residents of Kyangwithya East location in Kitui Central are living in fear of a stray lion that has reportedly attacked and killed their livestock.
The Senior Chief, Peter Ndambu confirmed that there was a lion roaming the area but said Kenya Wildlife Service officers had vainly tracked it down for three days.
He said the big cat, which is suspected to have strayed from the recently razed Mutito forest, was wreaking havoc in the hilly and thickly vegetated area and has so far killed several cows and goats.
“The lion was first spotted on Wednesday night after it attacked Kilonzo Kalulu’s cow in Museve village,” he said.
Kalulu said he heard his cow howling in the dead of night but he had no idea what had attacked it.
“We made a lot of noise to scare off the beast but it was too late. The cow was already dead,” he said.
At daybreak, Kalulu noticed a lion’s paw prints and alerted Chief Ndambu who in turn notified KWS of the stray wild animal, triggering a frantic search for it.
Chief Ndambu asked the villagers to stay vigilant and avoid roaming around at night until game rangers, who are still combing the area, capture the stray lion.
By Yobesh Onwong’a
