A massive tracking operation to capture two lions spotted roaming through the Mbololo area of Voi Constituency has entered its fourth consecutive day, as wildlife authorities scramble to ensure the safety of panicked local residents.
The ongoing search was confirmed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Tsavo Deputy Warden, Wilson Njue, who stated that emergency response teams were deployed immediately after members of the public reported seeing the predators last Tuesday.
Despite an intense aerial and ground search, the elusive big cats have managed to evade wildlife rangers.
The proximity of Mbololo to Tsavo National Park frequently leads to human-wildlife conflict, but the presence of two active predators near residential areas has put the entire community on high alert. KWS has deployed additional ground units to comb through the dense thickets after aerial surveillance failed to spot the lions from above.
“We received distress calls from the community on Tuesday last week and immediately launched a tracking exercise to capture and safely return the two lions to the park,” Warden Njue explained. “However, despite deploying aircraft to conduct aerial patrols over the area, our officers have not yet physically sighted the lions.”
To reinforce the operation, KWS has deployed more boots on the ground to ensure a thorough sweep of the terrain. Warden Njue highly commended the Mbololo residents for their calm demeanor and close cooperation with rangers since the scare began.
He further implored locals to avoid confronting the animals if spotted, and instead relay tracking information directly to the authorities.
“Our officers are fully equipped and on standby. The moment these lions are located, we will safely capture them and translocate them back into the protected area,” Njue assured. “We appreciate the immense cooperation from the residents so far, and we urge them to remain vigilant and immediately report any fresh sightings or tracks to our team.”
A massive tracking operation to capture two lions spotted roaming through the Mbololo area of Voi Constituency has entered its fourth consecutive day, as wildlife authorities scramble to ensure the safety of panicked local residents.
The ongoing search was confirmed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Tsavo Deputy Warden, Wilson Njue, who stated that emergency response teams were deployed immediately after members of the public reported seeing the predators last Tuesday.
Despite an intense aerial and ground search, the elusive big cats have managed to evade wildlife rangers.
The proximity of Mbololo to Tsavo National Park frequently leads to human-wildlife conflict, but the presence of two active predators near residential areas has put the entire community on high alert. KWS has deployed additional ground units to comb through the dense thickets after aerial surveillance failed to spot the lions from above.
“We received distress calls from the community on Tuesday last week and immediately launched a tracking exercise to capture and safely return the two lions to the park,” Warden Njue explained. “However, despite deploying aircraft to conduct aerial patrols over the area, our officers have not yet physically sighted the lions.”
To reinforce the operation, KWS has deployed more boots on the ground to ensure a thorough sweep of the terrain. Warden Njue highly commended the Mbololo residents for their calm demeanor and close cooperation with rangers since the scare began.
He further implored locals to avoid confronting the animals if spotted, and instead relay tracking information directly to the authorities.
“Our officers are fully equipped and on standby. The moment these lions are located, we will safely capture them and translocate them back into the protected area,” Njue assured. “We appreciate the immense cooperation from the residents so far, and we urge them to remain vigilant and immediately report any fresh sightings or tracks to our team.”
