A sixteen-year-old boy was killed by an elephant as he crossed a road where a herd was grazing in Kina, Garbatulla, Isiolo county.
Authorities from the police and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the incident, which occurred in the Barambate area.
The boy’s body was discovered beneath a tree with multiple injuries following the incident on Monday, April 15. After conducting a postmortem, the body was transferred to Nyambene Level Four mortuary before being handed over to the family for burial, adhering to Islamic customs.
This unfortunate event has reignited concerns among residents regarding the escalating human-wildlife conflict in the region. There are apprehensions that some residents may seek to retaliate against the elephant responsible for the attack.
Sadly, such incidents are not uncommon in the area. On the same day, a 60-year-old man fell victim to a buffalo attack in Voi.
To address this menace, KWS has initiated a campaign that includes measures such as fencing off vulnerable areas. Additionally, both the government and conservation groups have implemented compensation programs for individuals and herders who suffer losses due to wildlife-related incidents.
President William Ruto recently launched a compensation scheme to address damages arising from human-wildlife conflict. He revealed that compensation claims totaling Sh7 billion for the period 2014-2023 had been recorded, with Sh4 billion already disbursed. The remaining Sh3 billion in compensation claims is set to be settled within the next 60 days.
