The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched an intensive operation to capture and relocate the rogue animals in response to a series of deadly hyena attacks in Juja, Kiambu County.
The operation comes after the tragic death of a 5-year-old boy, who was killed by a hyena pack on Wednesday, July 4.
KWS says it deployed specialised officers from across the country to hunt the animals.
“We have deployed tens of our officers drawn from different parts of the country. They have the relevant machinery to hunt down and capture the hyenas,” Joseph Dadacha, Senior Assistant Director for the Central Rift, said on Sunday.
Protests
The incident led to protests, with locals blocking a highway for hours on Thursday last week.
Once captured, authorities say the animals will be relocated to areas far from human settlements.
In addition to the capture operation, KWS says it will conduct regular patrols, implement awareness programs, and engage local communities to prevent future encounters.
The National Environment Management Authority is to also inspect local dumpsites and quarry sites to address potential environmental factors contributing to the problem.
In February this year, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed rabies as the cause behind hyena attacks in Nairobi, Kajiado and Kiambu counties.
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