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Residents urged to stay indoors after escaped lion mauls man to death

‘Some parts of his body were scattered on the ground,’ victim’s brother tells local media

Samuel Osborne
Tuesday 10 December 2019 17:07 GMT
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Local residents say the lion has killed over 30 dogs and livestock in the area
Local residents say the lion has killed over 30 dogs and livestock in the area (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

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An escaped lion has mauled a man to death near Nairobi National Park in Kenya, prompting authorities to warn nearby residents to stay indoors until the animal is located and sedated.

The victim, identified in local media as Rono Kipkirui Simion, went missing as he was heading home from work near Ongata Rongai on Friday.

His employer found the lion feeding on his remains on Monday morning, according to local news website Kenyans.co.ke.

“Some parts of his body were scattered on the ground,” his brother told the outlet. “His employer tried to scare away the lion but it could not leave.”

His head and arm were all that remained at the scene, the Daily Nation reported.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has urged the public not to leave their houses at night until the lion is captured.

In a statement, it said: ​”KWS is saddened by the tragic death of a gentleman who was killed by a lion on the southern periphery outside Nairobi National Park.

“Our team of rangers including a vet are searching for the lion to locate, dart and remove it from there.”

It added: “We are reaching out to the family of the deceased with a view to visiting and consoling with them.

“KWS urges members of the public to stay calm and not to venture out at night until the lion is captured.”

Local residents told Kenyans.co.ke the lion had killed over 30 dogs and livestock in the area.

Nairobi National Park is ringed by electric fencing but is not entirely sealed off.

In 2016, a stray lion attacked a 63-year-old man after it wandered out of the park.

The male lion was eventually returned to the park.

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