KENYAN government officials have visited herder communities in the south-west after nearly a dozen lions were recently killed after attacking livestock.
The officials, including the tourism minister and Kenya Wildlife Service officials, met residents of the Mbirikani ranch amid escalating human-wildlife conflicts that led to the killing of 11 lions by herders living near the Amboseli National Park.
The minister, Peninah Malonza, said the government was working to ensure pending claims by the community seeking compensation for wildlife attacks were settled.
She urged the local people to embrace a “peaceful and harmonious co-existence with wildlife” even as their concerns were being addressed.
The killing of the lions, including one of the country’s oldest lions, has been seen as a blow to conservation efforts and the tourism industry – which is a major contributor to Kenya’s economy.
Communities living near game parks and nature reserves in Kenya have often complained that lions and other carnivores kill livestock and domestic animals, with little or no action by government, including on compensation.
