A 14-year-old girl was tragically killed by a lioness outside Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, when she was attacked at a ranch near the southern edge of a national park, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The incident occurred on Saturday night when the lioness jumped over a makeshift fence and entered a residential compound near Nairobi National Park, KWS Senior Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto told CNN.
The lioness entered a house and attacked the girl, who was inside with another teenager. “There is no evidence of provocation from the victims,” Udoto said.
The second teenager quickly raised the alarm, which prompted KWS rangers and emergency teams to respond. Upon arrival, they traced bloodstains that led to the Mbagathi River, where they found the girl’s body with injuries to her lower back.
Authorities have set up a trap and deployed teams to search for the lioness. They are also working to improve security measures, such as electric fences and AI-powered early warning systems, to alert communities about animal movements, Udoto added.
In a separate incident, an elephant attacked a 54-year-old man on Friday while he was grazing livestock in a forest in Nyeri County, Kenya. The man suffered chest injuries, fractured ribs, and internal trauma, and was declared dead upon arrival at a hospital, according to KWS.
Both attacks highlight the need for continued investment in human-wildlife conflict mitigation, including strategic interventions, early warning systems, and closer collaboration with affected communities, KWS said.
KWS teams are still investigating the attacks, and preliminary findings suggest that both incidents are related to broader ecological pressures and human encroachment on wildlife habitats. Udoto noted that the lioness may have been disoriented or diverted from her usual hunting behavior due to a scarcity of prey in her natural range and increasing human activity around the park.
Regarding the elephant attack, Udoto explained that the elephant charged after the man entered the forest to graze his livestock. “It was the human activity that encroached upon the animal’s range, creating conditions for conflict,” he said.
“KWS expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and continues to work closely with local law enforcement and communities to enhance the safety of people living near protected wildlife areas,” the agency added.
Although lion and elephant attacks are relatively rare, they can still occur in isolated areas close to national parks and game reserves. Lion attacks account for less than 2% of all reported incidents between humans and wildlife, while elephant-related incidents are more frequent, typically occurring during dry seasons when elephants migrate in search of food and water, often coming into contact with farmland or settlements.