A young couple has been left nursing injuries at the hospital after a lion attack in Isiolo.
Recounting the terrifying ordeal, Michael Apaiyu detailed how the predator struck while he and his wife were taking a walk in the forest.
“Simba alinishambulia kwenye mikono yangu, miguu, mbavu, na mgongo wangu. Mke wangu alikuwa akitembea nyuma yangu, kwa hivyo simba alikimbia kumshambulia yeye, lakini alikimbia mbele yangu, kuniniacha nikishambuliwa na simba,” Apaiyu shared.
Loosely translated as;
“The lion bit me on my hands, legs, ribs and my back. My wife was walking behind me, so the lion came to attack her, but she ran in front of me, leaving me exposed to the lion. It pounced on me and started scratching me while I was on the ground. I called on my wife to help me.”
He described the suddenness of the attack, with the lion targeting him from behind while his wife ran in front of him, leaving him exposed to the attack.
“Ilikimbilia mimi na kuanza kunikwaruza nilipokuwa chini. Nilimwita mke wangu anisaidie,” he recounted.
In a desperate bid to help her husband, Apaiyu’s wife swiftly passed him a machete, which he used to defend himself.
However, the lion swiftly turned its attention to her, sinking its teeth into her legs and refusing to let go.
“Mke wangu alinipitishia panga na nilitumia kushambulia simba. Simba mara moja aliruka kwenye mke wangu na akaanza kumng’ata miguu na haikuondoka. Baada ya muda tulipigana nayo na ikakimbia kuingia msituni,” he added.
A young couple is admitted at Isiolo Referral Hospital following a lion attack. #AFCONikoKBC ^DB pic.twitter.com/NhFi6OBNll
— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) February 8, 2024
Hyena attacks on the rise
In another incident, a 21-year-old student named Kelvin Mwenda from Multimedia University was attacked by a hyena while he was walking along Maasai Lodge Road in Rongai.
The hyena also caused serious injuries to a local who tried to help Kelvin.
Both victims were quickly rescued and taken to Wama Nursing Home Hospital for treatment.
This incident adds to the growing worries about hyena attacks, particularly in the Juja area of Kiambu County, where several lives have been lost to these animals.
Just last month, some leaders from Kiambu called on the Senate to summon officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) regarding the deaths in Witeithie Ward, Juja.
Senator Karungo Thang’wa of Kiambu urged the Standing Committee on Land, Environment, and Natural Resources to investigate the increasing cases of hyena attacks.
There are claims that KWS has not adequately addressed complaints from residents.
Senator Thang’wa emphasized the need for long-term solutions to tackle these ongoing attacks, which seriously threaten the safety and well-being of Kiambu County residents. Additionally, he urged KWS to clarify whether there are plans to compensate the victims’ families.
“Recommend long-lasting measures to address the ongoing attacks which pose a significant threat to the safety and well-being of residents of Kiambu County,” Senator Thang’wa told the committee.
The lawmaker also asked KWS to clarify whether there were plans to compensate the families of the victims.
