Some residents in Modogashe, Lagdera constituency, Garissa county are living in constant fear following attacks by stray elephants and lions that have led to the death of one person and three others nursing serious bodily injuries.
In an interview with KNA on Tuesday, Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein said on September 2, a stray elephant trampled on Khalif Jellow, a resident at the Togdub sublocation who later succumbed to his injuries.
During the attack, several goats and sheep were also killed.
Hussein said on September 10, members of the public reported seeing two stray lions within their settlements and grazing fields in the Modogashe and Ilan areas.
The latest incident took place on Monday night when two elephants attacked and injured two male adults in the Serbi area, three km from Modogashe town.
Hassan Ibrahim, 29, and Mohamed Ibrahim, 31, were herding their animals when they were attacked by elephants and are currently nursing serious injuries at the Modogashe Subcounty hospital.
The stray elephants and lions believed to be coming from the neighbouring Meru National Park are causing panic and fear among the residents of Modogashe and neighbouring areas.
The legislator said despite calls by the local leadership and residents for KWS to drive away the wild animals, nothing has been done.
Hussein said the most worrying thing was that the attacks were happening within human settlements and grazing fields.
“Our people are pastoralists by nature, and they move far and wide in search of water and pasture for their livestock. Unfortunately, as they are going about their normal lives, they encounter this stray wildlife, which poses a big threat to their lives and their animals,” Hussein said.
“It’s my appeal to KWS to act now so that my constituents can go about their business without fear of being attacked by wild animals,” he added.
He said the constituents may resort to defending themselves, which may include killing the wild animals.
“I would not like us to go there because we have a department in charge of wildlife who are supposed to secure the animals in the designated parks and reserves,” he said.
Hussein said KWS should form patrol units comprising rangers to wade off wildlife trying to cross over from the Meru National Park into human settlements and grazing fields.
