Kenya Wildlife Rangers on Tuesday evening trapped a lion in Masimba, Kajiado County, hours after it attacked and injured a cow belonging to a farmer.
Head of Problem Animal Management Unit, Vincent Ongwae, and KWS’s veterinary doctor, Jeremiah Phogon assisted by a pilot flying David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust chopper and warders managed to trap and darted the lion.
Ongwae said the lion which is believed to have crossed over to the grazing fields of Masimba had escaped from Chyulu National Park.
“We received information the lion had attacked a cow and took action immediately and brought down. We have already taken it Tsavo West National Park by road,” said Ongwae.
This comes two days after KWS trapped two rare striped hyenas and a leopard in Masimba over the weekend.
Ongwae said human/wildlife conflicts are on the rise after national parks were covered by a huge cover of vegetation which makes predators hard to hunt.
“Predators like hyenas, leopards, and lions are frustrated in the bushes and so they decide to follow antelopes into the open fields used for local communities to graze their livestock,” said Ongwae.
He said his team is working closely with the local chiefs and community leaders to track down wild animals trespassing into human habitation areas.
