KWS hunts down hyenas that mauled woman, child

Residents of Nyacaba, Witeithia, Maraba and Kabati in Juja, Kiambu County can finally sleep without fear after the Kenya Wildlife Services deployed officers in the villages to hunt down killer hyenas that have claimed lives of villagers in the recent past.

The move follows deaths of two persons, a nine-year-old boy and a middle-aged woman who were attacked and plagued to death by the wild animals in similar styles.

While Joyce Wambui attacked on Saturday morning as she headed to work in a nearby coffee plantation, the boy had been attacked by the canines a week before on his way home from church.

Livestock in the villages have not been spared either as in the past years’ hundreds of sheep and goats have been attacked and killed by the hounds.

Abandoned quarry

Yesterday, at least twenty KWS officers were deployed to hunt down the animals from the bushy chunks of land and caves inside abandoned quarries.

Warden in charge of Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, Fred Kisera, said the deployed officers would be mandated to cage the hyenas and return them to park.

Speaking during a public participation meeting at Nyacaba village organized by area MP George Koimburi, Kisera said that the operation to get the village rid of the prowling hounds will be conducted between 6pm and 6 am and called for cooperation from members of the community.

“The hyenas will not be killed but instead will be captured and taken to protected areas including the national parks. The operation is being led by Henry Kirinyet, a KWS officer,” announced Kisera.

Earlier, residents had indicated that they would adopt desperate measures including setting poisoned baits to kill the hyenas.

But Kisera warned them that killing the animals will be contravening the stipulated laws and would lead to one being arrested and fined to a tune of Sh5 million.