W. K. Lis
Superstar
Too bad the coyotes don't go after bigger game, like robbers.
From The Star, at this link:
From The Star, at this link:
Lions invade wealthy Nairobi suburb
NAIROBI, KENYA—At the entrance of Mukoma housing estate, a leafy suburb 15 kilometres from the bustling city centre of Nairobi, a prominent neighbourhood watch sign has been warding off potential intruders.
For the past six months, not one robbery has been reported in this wealthy community. A chalkboard sign subtly hints at why. “To All Our Dear Residents: LION SEEN — Ndorobo Road.â€
The neighbourhood watch, it seems, has had some extra help.
Since last year, several full-grown adult lions have taken up residence in this pleasant neighbourhood, terrorizing residents and causing a peculiarly Kenyan case of suburban woes.
Mukoma residents say that two lionesses — one with newborn cubs — and a male lion are living in the thick bushy areas of the estate, helping themselves to residents’ dogs and cats and any wild warthogs that happen by.
The lions also recently killed two endangered baby Rothschild giraffes from Giraffe Manor, a famous Nairobi attraction where tourists come to see, and even “kiss†giraffes.
Although many of Mukoma’s residents are wildlife experts — from safari guides to carnivore biologists — they are split on whether to keep or kill their ferocious feline neighbours.
“When we moved here 30 years ago,†says resident Mike Norton-Griffiths, “there were lions, zebra, leopard and cheetah roaming freely. It was all bush.â€
Yet as Nairobi has crawled outwards, Mukoma has become a populated housing estate. It borders the western edge of Nairobi National Park, a large natural park less than 7 kilometres from the city centre and the only natural safari park in the world surrounded on three sides by urban sprawl. (It has electrified fences on those sides.)
The first lion sighting occurred last April, yet it wasn’t until early September that the 160 families of Mukoma realized they might have a problem on their hands.
A lioness with two five-month old cubs wandered onto one woman’s property and was immediately confronted by a perhaps slightly too daring family Rottweiler. The ensuing brawl left the Rottweiler traumatized and one lion cub stuck 12 metres up a tree.
Since then, residents have set up camera traps and the sightings have become more frequent, from gardens to golf courses. In February, Ohmar Fernandez saw a lioness wandering outside the famous Karen Blixen Museum early one evening, and Ole, a guard for Hog Ranch property, recalls running for his life when he accidentally shined his flashlight on a lion “just metres away.â€
Lion expert and Mukoma resident David Mascall says these lions live in proximity to people all the time, and “there is not one reported killing or attack from a lion here in 30 years.â€
Resident Stephanie Dloniak, a carnivore biologist, agrees, but argues this is an “unprecedented situation†that poses an immediate danger.
“No one has ever studied urban carnivores,†she says, and though they haven’t attacked a human, in this environment they are “unpredictable.â€
“As a carnivore biologist, it’s cool.†Dloniak says. “But as a homeowner with two kids, lions in my flower bed are a problem.†With more than 80 children under 7 years old in the neighbourhood, many agree.
Resident Christine Riley, who works with the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, feels the lions should be allowed to stay. “We love wildlife, that’s why we live here.â€
Aside from the extra security they provide, it’s an animal lover’s dream to have lions in your backyard.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) legally owns all wildlife in Kenya, but its assistance has been limited. Its resources are stretched and it is under pressured from both sides of the community, residents say.
James Kiparos, a community warden for KWS, says several traps have been set but the lions “seem to know the tricks.†If they’re caught, he says, the KWS will put the lions back into the park with tracng collars.
“A zebra in your garden is one thing, quite the cachet,†says Norton-Griffiths. “But a lion?â€
