Lion Kills 14-Year-Old Girl Infront Of Friend Near Kenya's Nairobi National Park

Last Updated:April 21, 2025, 16:52 IST

Kenya Wildlife Service launched a search operation to capture the lion, which remains at large. Traps have been set up, implementing additional security measures to prevent further incidents.

Representative Image. (Pexels)

In a shocking incident, a 14-year-old girl was killed by a lion on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, authorities said on Sunday. The lion is believed to have wandered out of  Nairobi Park and entered a residential compound where the attack occurred, CNN reported.

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the girl was with a friend when the lion dragged her away. After her friend raised an alarm, wildlife officials quickly responded and followed bloodstains to the Mbagathi River, where they found the girl’s body with severe injuries to her lower back.

KWS has launched a search operation to capture the lion, which remains at large. Traps have been set up, implementing additional security measures to prevent further incidents.

Nairobi Park, located just 10 km from the city centre, is home to various wild animals, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffalo, and giraffes. While the park is fenced on three sides, its southern boundary is open to allow for animal migration, sometimes bringing wildlife into close contact with nearby human settlements.

The incident has raised concerns about growing human-wildlife conflict in the region, although fatal lion encounters are rare. Just a day earlier, a 54-year-old man was killed by an elephant in Nyeri County, about 130 km north of Nairobi.

“These back-to-back incidents are not isolated," conservationist Paula Kahumbu, CEO of WildlifeDirect, told BBC News. She called for better risk assessments and real-time communication on wildlife movement, especially in high-risk zones.

Kahumbu emphasised the importance of enhancing safety infrastructure around lodges and residential areas near wildlife habitats. “Anti-predator deterrents such as lights, alarms, secure fencing, and sprays should be standard. Prevention is our best line of defence," she said.

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News world Lion Kills 14-Year-Old Girl Infront Of Friend Near Kenya's Nairobi Park