Rongai residents woke up to shocking news of a marauding lioness that strayed from the Nairobi National Park early Wednesday.
In a viral video posted online, the lioness was seen near Ongata Rongai’s Tusky’s Supermarket plot.
She hid in the corridors of an apartment building.
Residents raised the alarm following this, and the Kenya Wildlife Service moved in swiftly to contain the situation.
Curious onlookers, aware of the danger that lurked, milled around the area to catch a glimpse of the marauding lioness.
KWS officers quickly dispersed the residents to avoid agitating the lion.
“This morning, a sub-adult male lion was spotted stuck between a concrete wall and iron sheets in Ongata Rongai area, Kajiado County. KWS was alerted by members of the public and promptly dispatched rangers & the veterinary team to the scene,” KWS said in a statement.
It added that: “The lion was successfully darted, immobilized and safely transferred to the veterinary facility for observation & collaring before being released back to the park.”
Two years ago, a middle-aged man working in Rongai was mauled to death by a stray lion.
Simon Kipkurui went missing before his employer found a lion eating his corpse.
The lion did not leave the scene even after it was scared. KWS officers swung swiftly swung to action.
In 2016, another man who was walking home in the wee hours of the morning was attacked by another stray lion from the Nairobi National Park.
At the time, three lions were reported missing from the park and were captured strolling by the sides of the highway.
One of the black-maned lions attacked the man due to agitation by honking vehicles.
He survived the ordeal, although he sustained an arm injury.
