Kenya Wildlife Service sent in rangers after lions were seen roaming in residential area in middle of night

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Several lions which strayed from the Nairobi national park, on the edge of Kenya’s capital, and wandered into a residential area, have returned, an official has said.

Kenya’s Standard newspaper said the lions were spotted roaming the Langata area in the middle of the night, prompting the Kenya Wildlife Service to send in rangers.

“Lioness and cub safely back into the park,” said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the wildlife service. “Two others suspected to have sneaked back before dawn.”

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The wildlife service said its team had been dispatched to the residential area at about 3am local time and had urged members of the public not to try to capture the lions on their own.

It is not the first time lions have escaped the park, a sprawling sanctuary for giraffes, zebras and other wild animals. Previous escapes have brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill, forcing bewildered commuters to dodge playful lions.

Kenya’s oldest national park is under pressure from the rapid growth of the capital over the last decade. Poachers have also taken their toll on the animal population, whose numbers have fallen dramatically.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rangers carrying tranquilliser guns search for the lions. Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Image

Last year park officials also agreed to allow a new Chinese-built railway line to cut through the park. The line will be walled off and raised above the ground so animals can safely pass underneath.