The residents of Lala village, in Homa Bay county, are calling on the Kenya Wildlife Service to take urgent action to tame the wild animals after a leopard killed eight sheep belonging to a resident of the area.
The sheep, owned by local resident Apollo Otieno, were found lifeless, with one carcass partially eaten and its chest and internal organs torn apart.
The incident follows a similar attack two weeks earlier, in which one of Otieno’s guard dogs was dragged away and devoured by a wild animal near a neighbouring home.
While initial suspicions pointed to a hyena, officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) who visited the scene later concluded that the killings were most likely the work of a leopard.
Residents have now raised concerns over the growing presence of wild animals given the village’s proximity to Ruma National Park.
Homa Bay County KWS Warden Officer Jackson Kubor confirmed that the agency is investigating the incident.
He urged villagers to remain vigilant and said a trap would be set to capture the animal.
