Remains of boy mauled by leopard in Maralal recoveredv

Body parts of a nine-year-old boy who went missing on Monday last week were found in Maralal, Samburu County.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the boy was attacked by a leopard. He went missing on January 13 as he went to fetch water from a local stream in Angata Nanyukie village.

Police, KWS officers and members of the public mounted a search after the incident was reported. The remains were later found in a forest and it is believed that he was attacked by a leopard.

Police said the remains included bones and the animal had eaten other body parts. The remains were moved to the local mortuary pending an autopsy. Locals have vowed to hunt down the animal. Cases of human-wildlife conflict have been reported across the country, especially near parks.

President William Ruto last year in April launched a compensation scheme for victims of wildlife attacks to help them rebuild their livelihoods and meet medical bills.

Launched in Laikipia, home to iconic species including elephants, rhinoceros, and buffaloes, the human-wildlife conflict mitigation and compensation scheme is expected to foster harmonious coexistence between local communities and animals in the wild, Ruto said.

He said compensation for fatal wild animal attacks will increase from Sh200,000 to Sh5 million.

“If a farmer is attacked and killed by an elephant, the government will compensate his or her family with Sh5 million,” he said.

The President added that those who suffer injuries will be compensated depending on their injuries but the amount will range between Sh1 million and over Sh3 million.

Ruto, victims and their families will also have a new online platform to report incidents in a bid to ensure their compensation is within months.

To mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, Ruto said the government will erect electric fences in the hotspots countrywide, besides incentivising communities to protect threatened species.