Lions speared to death near Kenyan park

Fri 14 Mar 2008, 11:50 GMT
NAIROBI, March 14 (Reuters)

Three lions have been speared to death close to Kenya's Amboseli national park, a senior Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) official said on Friday, raising concerns about the country's dwindling population of big cats.

Five suspects have been arrested over the killings, which occurred over a one month period, said Patrick Omondi, head of Species, Conservation and Management for the KWS.

He said Maasai herdsmen were suspected of killing the lions after the predators attacked their cows outside the park.

"People purported that two lionesses had killed two cows," Omondi told Reuters, but added that poachers may have been involved.

"Rangers were immediately deployed to the area, given that the skin and teeth of one of the lions was missing," he said. "It leads us to believe that illegal traders, using the Maasai morans (warriors), are involved in this." …

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