A 77-year-old man is nursing serious injuries after he was attacked by a hyena inside his sheep pen at Losira village in Oldonyiro, Isiolo County.
Akal Lekishe’s efforts to save the livestock turned into a fight for his life as he encountered the hyena.
The hyena reportedly attempted to escape the pen, but Lekishe accidentally shut the door behind him when he gained entry. It then turned on him.
According to the victim's son, David Lekishe, the Wednesday night incident saw his father sustain serious injuries to the head and ribs.
"My dad woke up to try and save his goats...the hyena was trying to find its way out but turned on my father because the door had shut itself from the inside,” he said.
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The long and tiring 65km journey from Isiolo to Nanyuki in search of treatment almost turned fruitless as they were not attended to at the Cottage Hospital due to the ongoing doctors’ strike.
This forced them to seek treatment at the Consolata Hospital Mathari in Nyeri, where Lekishe is currently admitted.
Further, he said that incidents of wild animal attacks in the area have been rampant since the onset of the rains, with periodic attacks on homes around Oldonyiro ward as the animals seek food.
"We want to see compensation because there are so many people that have been attacked by elephants, hyenas, as well as other animals and we heard the President promise prompt compensation of victims of wild animal attacks.”
Lekishe's family also calls on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to set up camps in the expansive Isiolo County, especially in areas prone to wildlife attacks, to protect the communities therein.
