TELL Magazine

Residents of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, have been put on alert after several lions strayed into the city after escaping a nearby national park overnight. One lioness and her two cubs have been recaptured, and two other animals are believed to have gone back into the Nairobi National Park on their own accord. The residents have been told to report any sightings to a free telephone line. “Lions are dangerous wild animals. Don’t confront them when you encounter them,” warned Paul Udoto, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service, KWS.  The park is separated by the main road from densely populated neighbourhoods, including Kibera slum, in the south of the city. Udoto said he was concerned that people would try to tackle the lions themselves, as has happened in the past. In 2012, four cubs had to be placed in an orphanage after a similar incident led to their mother being killed.

But the residents are angry that the KWS is taking so long to hunt down the lions.

There has been confusion about how many lions escaped and wildlife officials are currently verifying numbers inside the parkIt is estimated about 30 lions live there in an area spread over 117 sq km (45 sq miles).

Nelly Palmeris, senior warden KWS said three lions were found in a housing complex at a military barracks near the park. “They had not wandered too far as the lioness was still nursing her two cubs,” she said.