By Kevin Odera
A 16-year-old school boy died after being attacked by a hippopotamus while tending to his father’s livestock in Tana River County.
The hippo was grazing nearby before mauling and crushing him to death.
The locals tried their best to rescue the boy from the hippo but it was too late since the wild animal had already crushed the boy, killing him slowly.
The boy, Mohammed Abdi was murdered in Saka, Madogo region.
Police officers from Madogo police station later took away the deceased body which was badly dismembered.
Locals in the region called on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to look into the recent frequent hippo’s attacks.
“We request the KWS to address the human-animal conflict since we live in fear of the hippos’ attacks,” said a resident.
The area Senior Chief Mumina Harun urged the KWS to increase patrols along the riverbanks to remove hippos from around the locals’ residence, especially during dry seasons when they tend to move near towns to look for food.
