Tension ran high among residents of Kasimori village in Kombewa following a human-wildlife conflict where a man killed a four-meter python that had strangled his pregnant goat.
The incident, which occurred on the evening of February 23 in Kisumu County, sparked panic among residents of the quiet village as they rushed to see the commotion.
According to police, the goat owner had tethered his pregnant goat in a nearby field earlier that day. He felt something was a miss when he heard the goat bleating in distress. Alarmed, he ran to the scene, only to find a large python tightly coiled around the helpless animal.
Acting quickly, the man dashed back to his house, grabbed a spear, and returned to confront the snake. He struck and killed the reptile, but the goat had already succumbed to the suffocating grip.
In a scene that stunned locals, the man loaded both the dead goat and the python into a large cement bag and carried them to the local police station to file an official report.
Officers at the station documented the incident before summoning officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
KWS officers arrived promptly and took custody of the snake and the goat for safe disposal. During their visit, the officials assured the distressed farmer that the government would compensate him for the loss of his livestock under Kenya’s human-wildlife conflict compensation framework.
The incident has once again drawn attention to rising cases of human-wildlife conflict, where snakes and other wild animals occasionally stray into villages in search of food.
The incident, which unfolded on the evening of February 23 in Kisumu County, sparked panic in the quiet village as neighbors rushed to witness the aftermath.
According to police, the goat owner had tethered his pregnant animal in a nearby field earlier that day. He sensed trouble when he heard the goat bleating frantically. Alarmed, he ran to the scene, only to find a large python tightly coiled around the helpless animal.
Acting quickly, the man dashed back to his house, grabbed a spear, and returned to confront the snake. He struck and killed the reptile, but the goat had already succumbed to the suffocating grip.
In a scene that stunned locals and authorities alike, the man loaded both the dead goat and the python into a large cement bag and carried them to the local police station to file an official report.
Officers at the station documented the incident before summoning officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
KWS officers arrived promptly and took custody of the snake and the goat for safe disposal. During their visit, the officials assured the distressed farmer that the government would compensate him for the loss of his livestock under Kenya’s human-wildlife conflict compensation framework.
The incident has once again drawn attention to rising cases of human-wildlife conflict, where snakes and other wild animals occasionally stray into villages in search of food.
Similar Python Killing Reported in Ugunja
The Kombewa case comes barely a month after a similar incident in Ugunja, Siaya County.
In that case, 52-year-old Charles Osore from Luoka village in Madungu sub-location killed a massive python inside his homestead after it attacked and killed his dog. Osore later carried the snake’s carcass to a nearby police station to report the matter.
Following the incident, a KWS team led by Grace Kariuki, the senior warden for Kisumu and Siaya counties, visited Osore’s home. The officials began the formal compensation process and assessed the broader impact of human-wildlife conflict in the area.