Article by Gitura Kihuria in Nairobi, Kenya with additional files from Standard Photo: Mongabay
Biting hunger brought about by the ongoing severe drought in Kenya has driven a mongoose into a murderous rage which left one girl dead and six others injured while searching for food on Tuesday night in Kenya. It's the first time in recent memory that a mongoose has been known to attack and kill a human.
Jerop Nguriapus 15, who hailed from a village in East Pokot Ditrict, Baringo County, and Northern Kenya, was pronounced dead on arrival at Kolowa dispensary where she had been rushed after the attack.
The mongoose went ahead to attack six other family members before it fled when neighbours came to their rescue in the night raid.
The animals have not been known to attack people, but the incident has instilled fear among residents because most of their houses do not have doors as they have been living in temporary shelters to provide enough ventilation against the harsh temperatures occasioned by the severe drought.
A Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Chief Warden in the county William Kiptoo blamed the severe drought, saying it had forced the mongoose to hunt for human life.
He asked the residents to leave water and left over food outside their houses to prevent the animals from entering their houses.
“The biting drought has forced wildlife to migrate in search of food and water and providing the same is the only solution for the (human/wildlife) conflict”, he was quoted as saying.
He however said KWS has visited the affected family and offered them compensation forms.
The compensation value at KES 300,000($ 3,750) for every life lost and KES.50, 000($625) for injuries caused by wildlife is considered inadequate by the victims caught up in the Human-Wildlife conflict as some are left maimed for life.
Mongoose are primarily found in Africa, some species cover parts of Asia and some Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands where they were introduced in order to control rodents on sugarcane plantations.
Their predominant diet includes insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, snakes, chicken, eggs and rodents.
This is the first incident that a mongoose has been known to attack and kill a person.
Meanwhile some schools in the same location have been closed after pupils dropped out due to the biting hunger.
The pupils deserted schools to travel long distances in search of water and wild fruits.
The government is trying to mitigate the situation by waiving school fees paid by parents in the region who depend on livestock for subsistence which have been adversely affected by the drought and sending relief food to the affected regions which residents are saying it’s too little too late.
Leaders from the affected regions in the country blame the government for fire-fighting solutions towards the crisis instead of seeking long-term solutions to the always predictable circle of drought.
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