The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed that two lionesses from Nairobi National Park have been sighted outside the protected area, triggering an active response to ensure public safety.
In a public advisory issued on Wednesday, January 7, KWS said the lionesses were spotted in the Sholinke Trading Area, approximately 8.3 kilometres from the Nairobi National Park boundary.
The latest recorded coordinates of the animals were given as 37 M 261961 UTM 9834651.
“KWS teams are actively managing the situation.”
The wildlife agency added that veterinary teams are en route to safely dart, capture, and relocate the lionesses back into the park, noting that the operation is ongoing and public safety is the top priority.
KWS urged residents in the affected area to remain calm and avoid moving towards the location where the lionesses were sighted. Members of the public were also advised to keep children indoors and stay clear of the area as the operation continues.
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Human-wildlife conflict
As residential settlements continue to expand along Nairobi National Park’s southern boundary, encounters between humans and wildlife—particularly lions—have been common over the years.
The park, located just about 10 kilometres from Nairobi’s city centre, is fenced on three sides but remains open to the south to allow wildlife migration. That open corridor, combined with rapid human settlement, has brought lions into closer and more frequent contact with people.
Residents living near the park now regularly report sightings of lions within residential compounds. On neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, locals often share CCTV footage of lions scaling perimeter walls, preying on livestock and family pets, and alerting one another when the animals are spotted nearby.
These incidents present a growing conservation and safety challenge for KWS, which is tasked with protecting endangered species while safeguarding communities living alongside wildlife.
In April 2025, a 14-year-old girl, Peace Mwende, was killed by a lioness on the outskirts of Nairobi. According to KWS, the child was snatched from a residential compound on a ranch bordering Nairobi National Park.
Rangers tracked the animal’s movements to the Mbagathi River, where the girl’s remains were recovered. Although the lion was not immediately found, the agency said traps were set and search teams deployed, alongside additional security measures to prevent further attacks.
Also Read: KWS Warns Motorists After Vehicles Get Stuck at Nairobi National Park
CCTV footage from other widely reported incidents in 2024 and 2025 also showed lions roaming around residential areas in Kitengela and Rongai. In one of the incidents, a lion was captured snatching a Rottweiler dog from a home near Nairobi National Park.
Nairobi National Park and the population of lions
The park is home to a range of wildlife, including lions, buffalo, giraffes, leopards, and cheetahs. According to a 2022 study, the lion population in the park has fluctuated over the past three decades.
Numbers stood at around 30 lions in the late 1990s before declining to approximately 15 by 2004. Since 2011, however, the population has rebounded, reaching an estimated 48 lions by 2019.
Conservation experts attribute the recovery to successful protection efforts and immigration from surrounding ecosystems. Projections suggest the population could reach about 50 lions by 2025, even as pressure from human settlements around the park continues to intensify. KWS estimates that only “just over 2,000” lions remain in Kenya.
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