By Betty Luke
ISIOLO, KENYA: A couple in Isiolo is lucky to be alive following a 30minutes intense wrestling with a lion at Ntirim village along the Isiolo River.
Mr Michael Apaiyu and his wife Susan Chebet had gone to fetch firewood when the latter saw an oncoming big cat.
She tried running away but the animal run after her, forcing the husband who was a few meters way from her to intervene.
“It came running after my wife before seeing me. That is when it attacked and wrestled me to the ground,” Mr Apaiyu told The Press Point about the Tuesday morning incident.
The fight prompted Ms Chebet to hit the animal using a panga, to save the husband.
However, upon hitting it, it bit her leg and threw her to the ground.
“Knowing my husband was helpless, I struggled and hit it the second time hoping it would free my leg and luckily, it did,” she said amid tears.
Mr Apaiyu sustained a deep wound on his hand, legs and back while his wife sustained injuries on the chest and legs.
The lion, suspected to have sneaked out of neighbouring Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is said to have been fitted with a tracking gadget on its neck.
The victim’s family has implored the government to compensate them as the couple is the sole breadwinner of their two children.
“This is something we are never prepared for. We now have an extra burden of settling the hospital bill as well as taking care of their family,” said the victim’s sister Ms Hellen Nakutun.
They have also called on the government to ensure wild animals do not trespass into residential areas to minimize harm.
“The government should put in place measures to ensure animals remain at the parks so that people can go on with their activities without fear of attacks,” added Ms Nakutun.
Cases of human-wildlife conflicts have been on the rise in the region due to perennial drought, that pushes wild animals to villages in search of water and pastures.
