MOMBASA, August 24 – A rogue elephant that has been terrorising residents of Mariakani for the past few days was tracked down and killed by a contingent of ten game wardens on Saturday.
The marauding one-tusked elephant, which was in a pack of about five jumbos, was put down by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers in Kaloleni District, hours after it stepped on and seriously hurt a 24-year-old man in Mariakani.
Mohammed Mbarak was hurt as he tried to get away from the elephants, which have destroyed crops in several farms in that area.
“I heard a commotion as I was preparing breakfast and rushed outside to see what was happening,” he narrated from his hospital bed at the Mariakani Sub-district Hospital, where he was admitted to in a critical condition.
“I bumped into the elephant as I dashed out and it attacked me.”
Wardens said that the elephant had apparently lost its way, and caused anxious moments for residents of Mariakani as early as 6am on Saturday.
After being alerted that the jumbo was on the loose, KWS Wardens led by the Mombasa Marine Park officer in charge Arthur Tuda created a ten-man tracking team and went to look for the animal.
“We searched the terrain around Mariakani and caught up with the wild animal on the outskirts of Mariakani town at Pamu,” Tuda said.
Area residents complained that the elephant menace in the area has been on the increase.
They said the animals go near their homesteads in search of water and pasture and urged KWS to ensure that they confined them inside the protected areas.
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