A 10-year-old boy has died after being trampled by an elephant within the Letoire location, Kajiando Central sub-county.
According to area chief Jonathan Ole Munke, the victim and two other boys were herding livestock when the jumbo attacked them. The other two escaped unhurt.
The boy died there and then, according to Munke. The body was transported to the mortuary at Kajiado Referral Hospital by police and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers.
After the tragic incident, furious locals chased the animal and killed it.
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After the event, KWS reportedly started a conversation with the community and urged them not to handle things independently, according to Kajiado Senior Warden Daniel Kipkosgey.
“We maintained patrols and aerial surveys in partnership with the Big Life Foundation in the area in a bid to keep the jumbos away from the residential areas, but it is unfortunate that the over 200 residents managed to trail the 35-year-old jumbo and killed it with spears 18 kilometers from the scene of death,” said Kipkosgey.
Further, he revealed that the compensation process has begun, and the postmortem has already been done at the Kajiado Referral Hospital.
The deceased will be buried tomorrow, with KWS funding the entire process.
He also called upon Kajiado residents to be cautious as elephants roamed all over given due to the ongoing rains.
“Residents should avoid taking evening walks and children should be accompanied by adults all the time,” he said.
He has also cautioned residents against killing wildlife, saying all human/wildlife conflicts should be reported to their offices.
“We have enhanced our patrols to avert further human wildlife conflict cases, even as we discourage retaliation from members of the community. We encourage them to report any cases rather than take law into their own hands,” said Kipkosgey.
