Two Homa Bay farmers lose 198 goats in wildlife attack
Dairy goats during an auction at Chebororwa Agriculture Training Centre in Moiben, Uasin County, on February 4, 2021. Goats are among animals that are prone to the skin disease.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has dispatched its officers to a ranch in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County to investigate a case where two farmers claimed to have lost goats worth Sh1 million after being attacked by wild animals.
The incident took place on a 100-acre piece of land in Lwala village in Lower Kobonyo sub-location in East Kanyamwa location, where several goats are kept.
Two farm managers, Bernard Ouma and Paul Otogo, said the farm had 200 goats.
After the incident on Saturday night, only two goats survived. It is suspected that the animals were killed by leopards.
While the KWS warden in charge of Homa Bay County, Jackson Kibor, said only 26 goats were killed, the ranch managers said they lost 198 animals.
"We have received the report. We are still investigating the incident," Mr Kibor said.
The two ranch managers said they had suffered huge economic losses.
They said the wild animals could have jumped the electric fence into the ranch and killed the goats.
"The animals broke through the fence before attacking the helpless goats," said Mr Ouma.
Workers at the ranch discovered the carcasses scattered around in the morning, some of them partially eaten.
The managers are demanding compensation from KWS.
"The leopards should be tracked and captured because they have caused fear in the village," he said.
Some villagers said they had seen two leopards roaming the village on the night of the attack.
Mr Kibor said they were still investigating to establish the actual number of goats killed, after which the case would be processed for compensation.
