Kenya: Man Killed By Straying Taita Taveta Elephants

A man was yesterday killed by a herd of rogue elephants in Taita Taveta County. The herd of more than 30 elephants that has been terrorizing Taveta residents in the past one month is believed to have broken out of the Tsavo National Park in search of water and pasture.

Erick Ramadhan Leshamta dies on the spot. He was on his way home from a shop at Chala location in Taveta district.

According to witnesses, the Chala Secondary School drop out, 22, was with a group of friends when he was trampled by the jumbos. "We escaped after the jumbos started chasing us and since the late was with a white shirt they all went for him," said a friend who narrowly escaped the attack. The tragedy sparked off anxiety with villagers scared of rising human-wildlife conflict.

According to councillor Chanzo Khamadi the human-wildlife conflict has been triggered by illegal grazing of livestock in the Tsavo National Park thus forcing the Elephants to seek pastures outside the park. Khamadi said that the illegal grazers from North Eastern Province have sneaked thousands of cattle into the park and have taken over all the watering points for the elephants. "The elephants have invaded the locals farms and destroyed acres of crops at Njoro, Mtakuja and Kasaani area," lamented the civic leader. Locals have now threatened to poison the elephants if they are not driven out of their farms by the KWS.

Taveta police boss Paul Kisang confirmed the death and said that the body of the deceased had been removed to the Taveta district hospital for a postmortem examination.