Rogue leopard injures five in Kitui

Written By:Rose Kamau , Posted: Sat, Aug 30, 2008


Two people are admitted at the Kitui District Hospital while three others were treated and discharged following an attack by a leopard in Nthongoni area, Yatta division.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel led by area District Warden Joseph Kavi tracked and killed the leopard that had strayed from the Tsavo East National Park.

Kavi said that the leopard could not be caged and returned to the park because it had sustained injuries during the confrontation with the residents.

The game warden said the animal might have strayed from the park awhile ago as area residents had reported the mysterious disappearance of their domestic animals.

"Area residents had reported about mysterious disappearance of goats and the cat attacked two people on Wednesday when they traced its whereabouts," said Kavi.

On Thursday during a confrontation with the residents, the leopard attacked three people but it sustained panga cuts in the head and had an arrow lodged in its stomach.

Separately, Kavi said that two among three elephants that had escaped from the park to Kasaala area in Mutomo district have been returned to the park.

"We are still making efforts to track down the remaining rogue elephant and return it back to its habitat to avoid conflict with residents," said the warden.

He said that the people attacked by the leopard and other wild animals would be compensated by the KWS.