A farmer in Kajiado is counting losses after Leopards attacked and killed 15 sheep in Kajiado West sub-county on Saturday morning.
Julius Kinayia, the owner, said the sheep were all he had planned to sell them to raise money to buy a grade cow for milk.
Kinaiya said he went to check on his sheep at 4am, only to find they had been attacked.
“I knew they had been attacked by a leopard after I noticed that most of them had their necks broken with deep canine marks, which is an indication blood was sucked from them,” he said.
Kenya Wildlife Services officer in charge of Kajiado West Sub County, Daniel Kirui, advised farmers near the border of Nairobi National Park to build strong fences.
“These cases are increasing by the day and we advise our clients to take extra precaution to ensure the safety of their livestock. I know it is a bitter experience for a farmer to lose that number of sheep,” he said.
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Kajiado KWS county director Muteru Njauuini said the increase in human-wildlife conflict is a major problem.
“This arises due to, among other reasons, acute water shortage and inadequate pasture during dry seasons. This severely affects wildlife, livestock and humans. As competition for the available resources ensues, rising levels of such cases are experienced,” he said.
Land use changes and the consequences of population pressure have contributed to a decrease in resources available for wildlife, increasing conflict.
“These conflicts are a significant threat to ecosystem variability in general, and to large mammal populations in particular,” Njauuini said.
He said several translocation exercises have been conducted to ease pressure on the ecosystem.
A source at KWS said the government is yet to compensate farmers affected by wildlife attacks.
Currently, KWS says compensation is paid out only when human injury or death is involved.
However, the amount paid for loss of life and injuries is often considered inadequate by affected communities, the source said.