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Lion escapes park, attacks man in Nairobi

By Shawn Price
Another lion, similar to this one at a Gaza Strip zoo, has escaped the confines of Nairobi National Park and entered the city of Nairobi, mauling a 63-year-old man. The lion had been seen along one of the main streets of the city. A month earlier a pride of lions left the park and entered the city in the middle of the night. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI
Another lion, similar to this one at a Gaza Strip zoo, has escaped the confines of Nairobi National Park and entered the city of Nairobi, mauling a 63-year-old man. The lion had been seen along one of the main streets of the city. A month earlier a pride of lions left the park and entered the city in the middle of the night. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 20 (UPI) -- A month after a pride of lions escaped their wildlife park and roamed the streets of nearby Nairobi, another lion has escaped the park and mauled a man.

The escaped lion mauled a 63-year-old man after repeatedly being taunted by people honking their car horns along one of the main streets of the city. Others stopped to take a selfie, said Paul Udoto, Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman.

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The man, who was not identified, is being treated in a local hospital.

Udoto said the lion was captured and returned to Nairobi National Park over the weekend.

Rangers continue to search Nairobi to ensure no other lions are on the loose.

The rash of lion escapes from the park is tied to loss of habitat in surrounding areas to NNP, which is threatening the lions' survival.

"If there is no prey or there isn't enough prey in the park the animals may decide to wander out," Kenyan conservationist Ali Kaka told the BBC.

A pride of lions made its way into Nairobi one night last month, creating a panic. Two of the pride were captured and returned to the park, and the other two eventually found their way back on their own.

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An electric fence and main roadway are all that separate Nairobi and NNP's lions, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes and other animals. However, the opposite side of the park is bordered by a river.

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