Residents across Nairobi are on high alert after up to six lions escaped from the nearby Nairobi National Park and began roaming the surrounding area, according to the Associated Press. Wildlife rangers began hunting for the animals on Friday after two lions were sighted near a hospital at 4 a.m. A mother lioness and a cub were among those missing.
It is unknown how the creatures broke loose, as the park is largely surrounded by an electric fence, with the open portion of the park bordered by a river, according to CNN. Kenya Wildlife Service spokesperson Paul Udoto has been regularly updating onlookers with news of the search on Twitter, reporting that two of the lions had been recovered back to the park and that two others were thought to have returned before dawn. Senior warden for the Kenya Wildlife Service Nelly Palmeris told reporters that the recovered lions had been found in a housing complex near military barracks.
Some residents have expressed discontent with the way that the situation has been handled, according to BBC News. A number of people living in Kibera, which is close to the the park and is one of Africa's largest slums, are angry that the Kenya Wildlife Service is not locating and removing the lions more quickly. Two lions were spotted around the Kibera area this morning.
People living in the area have been told to report any sightings of the lions to a free telephone line. Udoto reminded people on Twitter not to approach the lions themselves and to keep children inside away from the animals. He also stated that Kenya Wildlife Service is "grateful for public cooperation" and there had been no incidents reported regarding the animals still on the loose.
