This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 23, a photo of four lions perched on mounds of dirt at Nairobi National Park (NNP) went viral on social media, sparking a heated debate over infrastructure projects in the park.
The image, shared by journalist James Smart, showed an excavator and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in the background, with some Kenyans claiming that the lions were watching their habitat being destroyed.
However, the photographer behind the image, Vishal Shikotra, clarified that the lions were witnessing regular maintenance of park roads, not construction of a new highway.
Shikotra urged Kenyans not to share false information based on his photo, stating that the excavation was for road repairs and would eventually become a watering hole for the game park.
Despite Shikotra's clarification, the uproar continued, with Nairobi National Park becoming the top Twitter trend in the country on June 24.
Wildlife expert and conservation activist Paula Kahumbu called on Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala to take action, urging Kenyans to support a petition to secure the natural integrity of the park and its ecosystem.
Activists have warned that continued developments at the park threaten its status as the only national park located within a major city.
Recent years have seen environmental activists up in arms over approvals granted for various projects at the park, including the routing of a section of the SGR through the park in 2017.
