By Peter Kamau
A stray
hippo killed a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warden in Laikipia over the
weekend. The officer met his death after an attempt to thwart the threats of
the charging hippo. Eye witnesses said that the hippo had strayed from Ngare
Nyiro river.
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| Photo of man being chased by hippo |
The dry
spell that has hit the area is believed to have made the hippo to come out of
the river. It took the intervention of other rangers to drive back the hippo to
the river. It was difficult in the first instance to drive back the hippo after
it became furious and charged at the rangers. When it was later driven, it
unfortunately got stuck in a muddy swamp. A crater was called to the scene to
help the hippo. To show its fury, it continued to bite at the teeth of the
crater while being shoved. The crater assisted the animal and was later taken
back to the river.
The body of
the warden was taken to Nyahururu District Hospital mortuary.
Cases of
wild animals attacking human beings in Laikipia and destroying property are
rampant. Last year, a lion mauled a woman and a case of buffaloes destroying
maize farms were reported. The presence of wild life conservancies and human
encroachment to animal paths have strained relations in the area.KWS has
started a fencing exercise to tame the animals within the conservancies. Lack
of compensation has also heightened tension causing residents to bay for animal
blood.
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