Ajabu Africa News

PHOTO:

A lion yawns early morning at the Nairobi National Park in this March 11, 2013 file photo. REUTERS

By:

RAMADHAN RAJAB

Posted:

Apr,02-2016 15:21:55

Mohawk was one of the most iconic and dominant male lions at the Nairobi National Park. But he was gunned down on Wednesday in a manner many described as despicably careless.

He wandered from the park to Isinya plains where he was cornered by KWS officers and policemen, and agitated by crowds that gathered to the point of injuring a man.

The lion was felled by nine bullets, by officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service, who in an ideal situation should have used traquilizer guns and transported him back to the park.

The incident angered many Kenyans and led to local and international calls for the KWS to be held to account. More than 2,000 people signed a petition against the agency in less than eight hours while messages were posted on Twitter via hash tag #JusticeForMohawk.

The petition dubbed "Save our Wildlife --Hold KWS Accountable for Mohawk's Death--Save NNP," wants KWS taken to task over the killing of the lion on Wednesday.

"In Kenya our heritage is our wildlife. The protectors of our heritage are the government and KWS.But they shot this lion dead in cold blood, without reason other than their total incompetence," the petition reads in part.

The initiative by a petitioner only identified as Shalin S on the Avaaz online community platform will be forwarded to the government and other stakeholders.

The petitioners also want Mohawk's death used to highlight threats to conservation areas; the government has proposed and rolled out infrastructure projects within the parks.

"The park itself is under threat by government-sanctioned development projects that are sure to ruin it. Corruption, greed and selfishness are taking nature away," it is noted in the petition.

"We must stop.This must not be another scandal swept under the piles the Kenyan government has stashed under the carpet. We want things to change and we want Mohawk to be the symbol of that which must be protected."

To many game lovers Mohawk was the Lion King at the Nairobi national Park. They termed his death an emotional wake-up call for the renewal of conservation efforts.

"I am sad and heartbroken. I am determined to do more towards conservation. I am angry. How do the custodians of our wildlife and nature, the KWS, just gun down a famous dominant male lion in front of hundreds of people including children?" saidwildlife photographer Paras Chandaria.

"We need concrete answers on why it took about five hours for the KWS to respond, why they did not use tranquillizers, and how the lion that is normally within the park walked more than 40 km. It was only early this week that it was cited at number six, its favourite location."

Dennis Onyango said via Facebook: "You are a game ranger. You are going after a lion that has left the park. You carry no tranquilizer with you. Instead you have guns and bullets. You are clearly on a mission to either kill the animal or catch it with your hands."

"This incompetence is becoming too much. Kenya deserves better."

Two lions were spotted in Oleshie, Kitengela on Thursday, in one of many incidents of the escape of the animals from Nairobi National Park.

Initial incidents saw members of the public and organisations write witty messages about Kenya's wildlife but this faded as more lions strayed out of the park, sparking fear.

Via Twitter on Thursday, KWS said it had dispatched a helicopter to Kitengela to monitor the movement of the lions.

The service said the team was deployed in support of one carrying out ground surveillance, adding efforts were being made to drive the lions back to the park.

Perez Olindo, founder of Born Free Foundation patron and a director of the Kenya Wildlife Conservation and Management Department, condemned the shooting saying authorities did not demonstrate that it was the last option.

"There are many biological means of subduing lions and translocating them, which is purely the mandate of the KWS. Killing them is not part of the agency's role and does not mean lions will not stray from the park," he said.

But the servicedefended its actionsaying the shooting was the best way to prevent the agitated lion from injuring more people - Mohawk attack a man when he was cornered.

The KWS further argued that the lion strayed that far in an attempt to create new territory, an assertion that has been dismissed by conservationists.

"Mohawk has been the most dominant male. There is no way he was attempting to create a new territory; he used to disappear for sometime. We read mischief in all these issues, including the lions' frequent exits from the park," a source said.

"We suspect it might be a play at whipping up public emotions against the park so that those who want infrastructure projects to run through it face less resistance when rolling out their plans."

Mohawk was born around 2005 and sired all Kenya Forest Service cabs; his death might affect breeding trends in the park.

He was christened by David Mascall because of his mane that resembled the mohawk hairstyle.

His death leaves the park with three mature male lions; Sam, Cheru, and Mpakasi.

Cheru wandered to Mombasa road early this month. Sam's sibling Sembeo died last year. Their father was called Ujanja.

Source:

The Star