- Women in Kajiado are praising a stray lioness named Makena for keeping their husbands home by 6 pm, calling her a blessing in disguise
- Despite the danger, these women want the Kenya Wildlife Services to stop hunting her down, as they believe she is restoring family bonds
- The lioness which was captured in a CCTV footage jumping into someone’s neighborhood has since eaten six dogs
Women in Ongata Rongai have made a surprising appeal to the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) to stop hunting down Makena, the lioness that has recently made headlines for preying on local dogs.
Despite the potential danger, these women view Makena as a blessing in disguise.
“Our husbands report home in good time by 6 pm in the evenings,” the women claimed, praising Makena for inadvertently restoring family bonds. Mercy Joshua, commenting on Facebook, called Makena a “blessing in disguise,” noting that families in Ongata Rongai have become more stable.
The lioness, which has so far eaten six dogs, has been labeled a heroine by the county women.
Some women in Kitengela and Kajiado towns are even praying for Makena to visit them to ensure their husbands come home at a reasonable hour.
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Sarah Karanja from Kajiado town expressed a desire for Makena to sort things out in her area as well.
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Despite the praise, not everyone is happy with Makena’s presence.
Kinayia Ole Moinkett and Leonard Ole Koinari reacted strongly to the women’s comments on social media, vowing to hunt down and kill the lioness with their bare hands.
“We have lived with big cats and they know us well. If our women use them to scare us, we will kill all of them, and retain our status quo,” said Koinari.
The KWS has responded to the situation by dispatching its Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) team to Ongata Rongai.
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This action follows a viral CCTV video showing a lioness scaling a perimeter wall and making off with a pedigree dog early last Wednesday.
KWS spokesman Paul Jinaro reassured residents that the HWC team is patrolling the area with support from the Problem Animal Management Unit (PAMU).
Jinaro explained that the ongoing heavy rains have caused herbivores to migrate through the unfenced southern part of Nairobi National Park towards human settlements, attracting predators like lions.
This movement has led to unfortunate incidents, such as the predation on domestic dogs seen in the viral footage.
He urged residents in wildlife-prone areas to exercise caution, especially at night, due to the increased risk of wildlife encounters caused by the rains and subsequent wildlife displacement.
