Tragedy as Elephant tramples KDF officer at training camp in Isiolo

 

A tragedy unfolded at a military training camp in Isiolo when a herd of elephants invaded and trampled an officer.

The incident occurred at the School of Artillery camp in the Kainuk area on Tuesday morning.

A group of young soldiers were engaged in a training mission when a herd of elephants unexpectedly stormed the vicinity.

Despite firing shots into the air to scare the animals away, the soldiers' efforts were futile.

The elephants continued to approach, catching up with some of the soldiers and officers who were attempting to flee.

Amid the chaos, Lieutenant Fridah Nkonke tripped and fell, giving the advancing elephants an opportunity to trample her.

Another group of soldiers who were armed managed to open fire and eventually killed one of the elephants.

According to officials, the rest of the animals retreated into the thickets.

Nkonke was quickly rushed to the Isiolo Regional Headquarters hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. Her body was later transferred to the mortuary.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials were summoned to the scene to investigate the incident, which was deemed an unfortunate case of human-wildlife conflict.

Local residents speculated that the elephants were likely disturbed and felt threatened, prompting their aggressive response.

Similar instances of human-wildlife conflict have been documented across the country.

In May, a 43-year-old man was fatally trampled by an elephant in Kwale County.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the incident happened on May 21 in Mapijani village in Lungalunga location.

The body of Joseph Kimau Mutizo was found on a footpath moments after the incident.

Locals said he was on his way home when he was attacked by an elephant that was passing through the village.

Such incidents of human-wild animals conflicts have been on the rise in the area and places near national parks.

Many wild animals stray from major parks to villages.

KWS has mounted a campaign to address the menace, which includes fencing the areas.

The government and conservation groups have a compensation program for people and herders whose livestock are killed by wild animals.

But herders have become more protective after losing livestock to a drought that has been termed the worst in decades in the East Africa region.

For instance, villagers in Kajiado two weeks ago killed an elephant in an attack.

This came months after another group killed 10 lions in retaliation to an incident where the wild animals had killed their 12 goats.

Officials have highlighted the significance of the loss of habitat and climate change, which threaten the wildlife population.

They emphasize the need for policies that promote coexistence between communities and wildlife as a crucial step towards preserving these species.   BY THE STAR