Low-lying power lines electrocuted eight buffaloes in Kenya

In Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park, eight buffaloes tragically perished from electrocution.

The national wildlife ministry revealed on Friday that eight wild buffaloes in western Kenya tragically perished from electrocution after coming into contact with low-lying electricity lines.

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, the regrettable incident happened inside Lake Nakuru National Park, which is well-known for its wide variety of wildlife species.

A broken wooden support post had compromised the electrical lines, allowing them to droop near the earth.

As a result, the nation’s power distribution company has started the replacement process, choosing, according to the wildlife service, to use metallic support poles in its place.

Conservationists are once again concerned about the possible damage that electricity lines offer to wild animals in light of this incident.

Similar incidents occurred in 2021 at the Soysambu Conservancy in western Kenya, where two giraffes were electrocuted to death after coming into contact with low-lying electric power transmission lines.

Environmentalists had earlier issued a warning about the risks that this kind of infrastructure posed to wildlife, stressing the need of following professional advice in order to avert such catastrophes.

President William Ruto revealed plans on Friday to build a 100-kilometer electric fence in Laikipia county’s Lariak Forest. This is a different development. Preventing elephants from intruding into nearby fields and settlements is the initiative’s main goal in reducing conflict between humans and wildlife.