By Judy Maina
NAIROBI, Kenya — A 14-year-old girl was killed by a lion near the southern boundary of Nairobi National Park, the Kenya Wildlife Service said in a statement on Monday, in a rare but alarming instance of human-wildlife conflict near the capital.
The girl, a primary school student, was reportedly taken from a residential compound on a private ranch that borders the park.
The area lies along the park’s unfenced southern perimeter, where wildlife is known to migrate freely between the park and nearby communities.
According to the KWS, a second teenager raised the alarm after witnessing the attack. Wildlife rangers followed the lion’s tracks to the Mbagathi River, where they discovered the child’s remains.
The lion believed to be responsible has not yet been located. Authorities said they had set traps and deployed search teams in the area in an effort to capture the animal.
In a statement, the wildlife agency said additional security measures had been implemented to protect residents and prevent further incidents, though details were not disclosed.
Nairobi National Park, located less than 10 kilometers (about six miles) from the city center, is home to a variety of wildlife including lions, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs. It is fenced on three sides but open to the south, allowing for seasonal wildlife migration — and sometimes, dangerous proximity to human settlements.
While conflicts between lions and humans, especially over livestock, are not uncommon in Kenya’s rural regions, fatal attacks on people remain relatively rare.
Officials have urged residents living near the park to remain vigilant. The identity of the girl has not been released pending notification of her family.
