KWS Issues Update on Lions Roaming in Rongai

The Kenya Wildlife Service has issued an update on the lions that had reportedly run loose in the Rongai area of Kajiado County.

In a statement on Monday evening, KWS revealed that rangers had finally caught up with the third and final lioness, which had eluded capture for weeks.

KWS confirmed that the lioness had unique features, identifying it as the one they had been searching for since earlier in January.

“Yesterday, a lioness was captured in Sorora Drive, Rimpa, Kajiado North by the KWS PAC team,” KWS revealed. “Confirmed by her distinctive ear notch, she is believed to be the mother of the two lions captured earlier in the same area.”

The much older lioness is believed to be the mother of two other sub-adult lions that were also on the loose.

Concerns about lions roaming freely in Rongai began after they were captured on CCTV footage. One of the lions is reported to have attacked dogs in one of the neighbourhoods.

At the time of its capture, rangers noted that the lioness had several distinct injuries, suggesting a possible encounter with civilians from the greater Rongai area. The KWS veterinary team was on hand to provide the necessary treatment before releasing her back to Nairobi National Park.

Incidentally, the mature lioness’s capture came just days after another lion, presumed to be her offspring, was safely evacuated by the wildlife agency, also at Sorora Drive, Rimpa. A week earlier, a lioness had been captured in the same area.

Cases of wild animals, particularly lions and hyenas, straying from Nairobi National Park to the neighbouring Rongai are not uncommon.

With Nairobi National Park being the only park in the world located within a city, this unique dynamic also comes with its fair share of risks, as the chances of human-wildlife conflict are considerably heightened.

One factor which heightens the chances of predators escaping the national park is the rains, which cause prey to migrate to the unfenced southern part of Nairobi National Park. This part neighbours settlements such as Rongai, Kitengela and the wider Kajiado area.

Since predators like lions, hyenas and leopards are attracted by these conditions, they inevitably follow the prey, and eventually stray into human settlements.

Residents have been urged to call the 24-7 KWS toll-free number 0800 597 000 immediately if they spot a stray wild animal.