The lions were killed because of the end of the drought when it becomes more difficult to hunt.
Ten lions, including one of the oldest in the country, were killed in a week in Kenya due to a human-animal conflict. CNN. Six of these lions were killed on Saturday alone, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said. This is “an unusually large number of lions to kill at once,” a spokesperson for the organization told the outlet. According to a KWS press release, the six lions had killed 11 goats and a dog.
Loonkiito, one of Kenya’s oldest lions at 19 years old, ventured outside a protected area into a cattle pen for food and was killed by a rancher, conservation group Lion Guardian told. CNN.
This happened because of the end of the drought as it becomes more difficult to hunt wild prey. Livestock farmers are also extra vigilant during this time to prevent them from losing animals.
Kenya is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.
KWS hosted a meeting on Saturday, attended by local residents and government officials, to discuss the recent killings.
“Discussions focused on exploring ways to minimize the risk of human-animal conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities to the presence of wildlife in their environment,” the organization said. .
“Further discussions focused on the broader picture of exploring human-animal conflict in the context of community livelihoods and sharing benefits for harmonious coexistence in the open community and natural landscapes,” it added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said the lions killed Saturday were part of Kajiado County’s Amboseli ecosystem, a UNESCO biosphere reserve near Mount Kilimanjaro.