One man killed and two others wounded in shock hyena attack in Kenya

The hyena attacks took place near a university outside Nairobi (stock picture) (Unsplash / Bibhash (Polygon.Cafe) Banerjee)
The hyena attacks took place near a university outside Nairobi (stock picture) (Unsplash / Bibhash (Polygon.Cafe) Banerjee)

Marauding hyenas killed a man and wounded two people near a university, prompting protests about what students call a lack of security.

The attacks took place outside the Kenyan capital, on a road that borders the Nairobi National Park in Ongata Rongai.

One wounded victim, 21-year-old Kevin Mwendwa, thumb - he studies engineering.

The man who was killed was Anthony Pasha, whose relatives said he was killed while collecting firewood.

His cousin Kaaji Lesian said: "The hyena came, it attacked him, chased him from the forest, put him down here.

"He left his firewood exactly where you are seeing them down there."

A team that was sent to investigate the scene found body parts of another victim of the hyenas, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said Tuesday.

Family and friends gather to mourn Anthony Shungea Pasha (AP)
Family and friends gather to mourn Anthony Shungea Pasha (AP)

Students from Kenya's Multimedia University have been demonstrating in the area, in a call for more protection.

They disrupted traffic on Tuesday before police used tear gas to disperse them.

One protester Ochieng Kefah said: "The university is not safe because we are near the national park.

"The government should, maybe, put some restrictions on the movement of the animals."

KWS' Problem Animal Management Unit team promptly put down one hyena and moved to identify any surrounding hyena dens.

The carcass was being examined to determine if the hyena had rabies or other diseases.

Hyena attacks have become increasingly frequent on the outskirts of Nairobi, prompting KWS to release guidelines on how to react when confronted by the animals.

"If faced with a hyena, do not move away until it does and continue facing its direction. Be loud, look aggressive, and appear frightening to deter the hyena," the organisation says.The guidelines were released in January, after 10-year-old Dennis Teya was attacked and killed in a field in Kiambu County, north of Nairobi.