A 14-year-old girl died after being attacked by a lioness in Kenya.
The attack occurred on Saturday, April 19, to the south of Nairobi National Park. The lioness entered a ranch on a residential compound where she attacked the teenage girl, according to CNN.
According to Kenyan Wildlife Services spokesperson Paul Udoto, the teen was at home with another youth when the attack occurred. According to the outlet, he stated that the lion was most likely drawn to the home due to “a scarcity of prey in her natural range.”
“There is no evidence of provocation from the victims,” Udoto told the outlet, adding that the lion entered the area by “jumping over a makeshift fence.”
The other teen in the house notified emergency personnel, who discovered the girl’s body near the Mbagathi River. According to reports, she sustained “injuries on her lower back.”
The search for the lioness is still ongoing.
Udoto told the outlet that deadly lion attacks are relatively rare, accounting for “less than 2% of all reported incidents involving humans and wildlife.”
The fatal attack came one day after a man was killed by an elephant in the nearby area, which is a more common occurrence, Udoto said.
“KWS conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and continues to work closely with local law enforcement and communities to enhance the safety of people living near protected wildlife areas,” according to the organisation.
Udoto stated that the organisation is discussing how to “reinforce security measures” to protect others from similar situations.
While Nairobi National Park is fenced on three sides, the nature reserve’s southern border remains open, according to BBC reporting.
Udoto claims that the attacks are “linked to broader ecological pressures and human encroachment on wildlife habitats.”
Following concerns about the lion population in Kenya, CBS News reported that it has increased since 2010.
In a statement shared with the BBC, Paula Kahumbu, the head of the WildlifeDirect conservation group, called for increased “risk assessments,” noting that this was important “especially in known high-risk areas such as Savannah Ranch.”
She described “prevention” as “our first and best line of defence,” and advocated for the use of “anti-predator deterrent systems” to help protect those who live near the park.
A spokesperson for Kenya Wildlife Services did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for information.