Six lions walk out of Nairobi nature reserve to roam city then return home

The lions were spotted near Kibera, Kenya’s largest slum

A lion pictured at Nairobi National Park in Kenya last year (Getty Images)

Six lions have walked out of Nairobi National Park and roamed the city for hours before making their own way back to the reserve.

The lions were first spotted in the early hours of the morning near a hospital in the suburb of Langata, and later near Kibera, Kenya’s largest slum, said Paul Udoto, Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman.

A team of wildlife rangers went out to find the lions but they were later spotted back in the park, having made their own way back, he said.

The reserve, which is spread over 45sq miles, is home to endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife. The area where they roam is just six miles from downtown Nairobi, which lies to the north of the park.

Kenya’s oldest park is under pressure from the rapid growth of the capital over the last decade, which has affected ancient animal migration routes and hunting grounds. Poachers have also taken their toll on the animal population, whose numbers have fallen drastically. Escaped lions are sometimes killed by livestock farmers protecting their herds.

AP