The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has issued a stark warning to residents of Thika to avoid consuming bush meat following the public slaughter of a hyena. The incident has raised significant public health concerns due to the dangerous diseases hyenas can carry.

• KWS strongly advises against handling or consuming the hyena carcass.
• The wildlife authority identified hyenas as high-risk carriers of diseases like rabies, anthrax, and common foodborne infections.
• The hyena was spotted and subsequently killed and slaughtered by members of the public on Saturday before wildlife response teams could intervene.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has issued a public health warning after residents in Thika killed and slaughtered a hyena found feeding on dumped poultry remains.

• KWS strongly advises against consuming or handling the hyena meat due to the high risk of zoonotic diseases like Rabies and Anthrax.
• Residents in Kamenu Location, Thika West Sub-County, killed the hyena and fled with its meat and organs before KWS response teams arrived.
• The killing and consumption of wildlife like hyenas is illegal poaching, punishable by hefty fines of over Ksh 20 million or life imprisonment under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has issued a public health warning after residents in Kamenu Location, Thika West Sub-County, Kiambu County, killed and consumed a hyena on Saturday morning.

• KWS is cautioning the public against consuming hyena meat due to the high risk of infectious diseases such as rabies, anthrax, and brucellosis.
• Residents reportedly chased down, killed, and fled with parts of the hyena carcass, including internal organs.
• The KWS urges anyone who may have come into contact with or consumed the meat to seek immediate medical attention and surrender any remaining meat to authorities.