Man killed by elephant in Shimba Hills, Kenya

Charging Bull Elephant

A 45-year-old man was on Saturday evening attacked by an elephant at Msulwa in Shimba Hills. He was taken to Msambweni hospital where he died.

Locals accused Kenya Wildlife Service officials of failing to respond when such incidents occur. Majimboni location senior assistant chief Matano Nzula said Rafael Mwambi was on his way home from the shops when the jumbo attacked him.

"The elephant was seen during the day and it hid in a nearby bush without locals knowing. It emerged and started destroying crops and that is the time Mwambi was going home and he was attacked," he said.

Nzula said the Tangini area has had no fence for the last one year because it was destroyed when Rural Electrification Authority was supplying power to locals in the area.

"The problem is KWS had been alerted over the issue earlier but you can imagine they arrived there at 5pm and so it was difficult for us to get vehicles to rush the deceased to get treatment," he said.

"KWS response is poor they have vehicles but they don't use them to help locals bordering Shimba hills National park instead they use them for leisure." The chief said KWS must put up a camp at the area to ensure they respond to locals alarms in time to avoid more deaths as results of human wildlife conflicts.