Lions wander out of park into residential area

2016-02-19 11:35

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Nairobi - Kenyan wildlife authorities say six lions have broken out of the Nairobi National Park and were last seen roaming in a residential area.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) issued an appeal, "for help to get two lionesses that strayed from the Nairobi National Park."

Kenya Wildlife Service spokesperson Paul Udoto said on Friday the lions were first spotted at 04:00 near a hospital in the suburb of Langata, and later near Kibera, Kenya's largest slum.

Udoto said wildlife rangers do not know how the lions got out of the park which is surrounded by an electric fence.

He says a team of wildlife rangers tracking the lions aims to capture them and return them to the park.

Nairobi National Park is home to many species of wildlife including endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife

It is not the first time lions have prowled into Nairobi.

The big cats find themselves under growing pressure as one of Africa's fastest growing cities creeps onto ancient migration routes and hunting grounds.

Sometimes the lions are killed by livestock farmers protecting their herds, other times they prowl leafy gardens giving residents a fright.

"These are highly populated areas and that is why we are intensifying the search," Udoto said. "Anyone with information about them should share with us immediately."

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