Kenya Wildlife Service rangers have shot dead an elephant that trumped and killed a farmer after it strayed from the Mwea National Reserve in Embu County.
The marauding elephant invaded settlement areas in Makima near Masinga Dam and killed Mr Mbatha Mbuvi, 70, before the warders cornered it and shot it dead on Tuesday.
The reserve’s Deputy Warden Nasibu Ngolo said rangers decided to kill the jumbo as it had killed and bore many poisoned arrows.
The elephant had been roaming Machang’a and Makima areas near the national reserve like, destroying crops and leaving residents in fear.
Mr Ngolo warned residents against consuming the meat as the animal had been shot with poisoned arrows.
REMOVED TUSKS
The KWS officers removed tusks from the dead elephant.
“For the past two weeks there had been cases of elephants straying into people’s settlement areas.
“It is after it killed someone that we realised that it could be very dangerous.
“We also warned residents against eating its meat since it had [been shot with] poisoned arrows,” Mr Ngolo said.
He said they were making regular patrols around the national reserve to ensure wild animals do not stray into people’s settlements.
“Many animals are straying outside the reserve due to the dry spell. The elephants can cross the River Thiba whose waters have receded,” said Mr Ngolo.