A hyena attacked and killed a four-year-old girl as she ventured out of their house for a short call in a village in Laisamis, Marsabit County.
Hyena attacks are common in the area amid calls on authorities to address the menace.
Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials are hunting down the wild animal that escaped with the girl identified as Ntalakwa Lekopir.
Her father told police she had gotten out of their manyatta on Wednesday night for a short call when she was attacked.
The man Leringon Lekopir said he heard her screams from outside as the animal attacked her and rushed outside at about 10 pm.
While armed with a torch, he told police he rushed outside and helplessly saw the hyena drag the girl towards a nearby seasonal river as he chase it in vain.
He screamed for help but the animal disappeared into the darkness with the juvenile.
It was then local KWS officials were informed and joined the hunt for the animal.
Police said they are still hunting down it.
The animal has powerful jaws and can carry up to 50 kilos and run with it.
Kenya Wildlife Service rangers have since been mobilized to hunt down the beast that is on the run after the incident happened.
Locals and police said the incident happened after the wild animal raided the village.
The animals scavenge for food and wander into homesteads from nearby parks where they attack humans and other animals.
In August 2014, a woman fought off a hyena, which invaded her home in Laikipia County.
The four were vaccinated against rabies after tests showed the hyena was suffering from the disease
Namaita’s case put Kenya’s preparedness to handle the disease in the spotlight as the vaccine could only be found in Nairobi while antibodies were procured from a private hospital in Nairobi.
Namaita, a housewife single-handedly fought off the hyena at the break of dawn as she and her four children slept.
