A Lion Kills Woman In Hargeysa After Breaking Loose From Aviation Minister’s Private Zoo

Hargeysa, Somaliland, March 29, 2008 (SL Times) – A lion killed a woman in Somaliland’s capital city Hargeysa on Thursday night after breaking loose from a private zoo belonging to Aviation minister Ali Waran-Adde.

The victim was identified as Hinda Hassan Essa, a woman of 25 years.

According to the zookeepers, the animal (a lioness) after escaping from its cage at around 10 o’clock in the night had headed southeast towards the dry river bed that runs through the middle of the city along a west-east axis. The lioness crossed to the other bank of the tog (river) and from the opposite direction came Hinda who was being walked home shortly after closing her teashop at the former slaughter house (Xero-Dhiig).

The lioness attacked Hinda, knocking her down. Hinda’s neck was broken in addition to her sustaining head injuries. Hargeysa hospital authorities said that she most likely died immediately after the attack as a result of neck and head injuries and shock complications as well.

The lioness didn’t eat the victim but according to the police had only dragged her for a few meters before dumping the dead woman’s body and sought cover under thick plants in a nearby orchard.

Waran Adde alerted the police of the animal’s escape and was part of the search team that eventually came across Hinda’s mauled body. The person who was accompanying the victim had apparently run away after the attack and was never heard of again.

A decision was already reached by Waran Adde and his zoo keepers to shoot the beast on sight.

The lioness was found and shot immediately on sight by the search team and brought back at about 2 o’clock in the morning to the Aviation minister’s home residence which has the private zoo located in its grounds.

After sustaining 8 AK bullets the lioness was still alive but seriously wounded. The minister took out his pistol and fired one mercy bullet into her head. It was dead.

Meanwhile Somaliland Aviation minister Ali Waran Adde has expressed profound sorrow and regret over the death of Hinda Hassan Essa.

The minister is said to be reconsidering whether he should continue to keep the rest of the animals which include 7 lions and a number of leopards and gazelles.

Meanwhile the government and Waran Adde are under intense public pressure to safeguard the residents from the threats posed by the lions and leopards still remaining in the zoo.

Source: Somaliland Times