Hyenas at a park. A man was reportedly attacked by at least 20 hyenas while heading home on December 27 in Witeithie, Thika.
| Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media GroupNews
Premium
KWS guidelines on how to avoid a hyena attack
What you need to know:
1. Stop. Do not run. The hyena, being a predator, will naturally chase animals that run away.
2. Do not lie down or pretend to be dead. This will only increase its curiosity.
3. Do not show fear; keep yourself calm by talking to it.
4. Hyenas are nocturnal. Minimise movements at night.
5. Do not move away until the hyena does and when you do, continue facing in its direction.
6. If it growls or giggles, stand your ground. Never run away, but do not move any closer.
7. Make a loud noise, look aggressive and frightening, as if you are going to attack.
Residents of Thika, Witeithie and Juja are on high alert as details emerged of two people were mauled to death by hyenas on Monday.
One of the victims, identified as Samuel Kang’the Ng’ang’a, was attacked by a pack of hyenas in Kamuthi, Witeithie, as he headed home on Monday morning. He died instantly.
Thika Sub-County Police Commander Daniel Kinyua said only a few parts of the victim’s body were found at the scene.
“It is true that someone was attacked (by hyenas). The victim was found dead by the locals. We suspect he was heading home when he was attacked. Only a few body parts were recovered,’’ Mr Kinyua told the Nation.
The man was reportedly attacked by at least 20 hyenas while heading home from Komu quarry, where he worked as a miner.
His colleague managed to escape, the police added.
In the evening of the same day, another suspected hyena attack was reported at Makongeni Police Station.
A resident of Kangoki found a fresh human skull at his farm in Kandara Investment Scheme.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has urged residents of the affected areas to be on the lookout for dangerous animals on the prowl at night.
“Measures to hunt down and eradicate this threat are underway,” read a message from the DCI.
Looking for food
A Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) official told the Nation they had received the report and that rangers had been dispatched to the affected areas.
“Hyenas are usually active at night. That is the time they walk around looking for food. Most of them hide in quarry caves around Witeithie. Chances of hyenas attacking humans are high when the animals are walking in a pack as has happened with the two victims,” she said.
The ranger urged those in the affected areas to avoid walking late at night and further revealed that rangers would soon start sensitising the local communities on safety measures to take with regard to wild animals.
The victims’ bodies are at General Kago Funeral Home, where an attendant revealed a post-mortem would be conducted this week.
The hyena menace comes five months after a lion was spotted by schoolchildren in the corridor of a residential building in Rongai town in July. The lion is believed to have strayed from the Nairobi National Park.
KWS rangers arrived at the scene, tranquilised the big cat and took it away.
No one was hurt during the incident.