MT ELGON, Kenya — Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) veterinarians have rescued a zebra at Mt Elgon National Park after it was found with a slipper stuck around its leg.
The discarded footwear had become tightly entangled around the animal’s leg, cutting into its skin and affecting its movement.
KWS said its veterinary team responded to the incident, safely removed the slipper and treated the injured leg, allowing the zebra to regain mobility.
Slipper Leaves Zebra With Leg Injury
The incident highlights the risks posed to wildlife by discarded materials in their natural habitats.
According to KWS, litter such as flip-flops, plastic, rope and wire can become entangled around animals or be caught on their bodies as they move through the environment.
What may appear to be harmless waste can cause serious injuries and, in some cases, threaten an animal’s life.
KWS Urges Public to Stop Littering
KWS has urged members of the public to pick up litter whenever they encounter it and dispose of it properly.
The Service says visitors to national parks should carry their rubbish out of protected areas. Its guidelines for Mt Elgon National Park also state that the park is plastic-free and that visitors should carry out all trash.
The warning applies not only to national parks but also to areas surrounding wildlife habitats and corridors.
Wildlife Can Become Trapped in Waste
Animals can walk through discarded materials or become entangled in them while searching for food or moving through their habitats.
Once material becomes wrapped around a limb, it can restrict movement, cut into tissue and potentially cause infection or more serious injury.
The zebra’s case illustrates how even a single discarded item can become a hazard to wildlife.
KWS Veterinary Teams Treat Injured Wildlife
The rescue is part of the wider veterinary work carried out by KWS to respond to wildlife injuries and other animal welfare cases.
KWS reported 2,136 animal welfare interventions during the 2024/25 financial year, including cases involving snare injuries, spear or arrow wounds, territorial fights and other interventions.
The Service’s specialised response units are also designed to support rapid responses to wildlife and human-wildlife incidents across protected areas.
Mt Elgon Supports Diverse Wildlife
Mt Elgon National Park is a protected montane ecosystem on the Kenya-Uganda border.
KWS describes the park as an important landscape for biodiversity, water catchment protection and conservation. The park rises to 4,222 metres above sea level at Koitoboss Peak.
The park’s forests, bamboo zones, moorlands and grasslands provide habitat for a range of wildlife species.
Public Asked to Protect Wildlife Habitats
KWS’s message following the zebra rescue is simple: waste should not be left where wildlife can encounter it.
The Service has urged Kenyans to take responsibility for their surroundings by collecting discarded materials and disposing of them appropriately.
For the rescued zebra, removing a single slipper made the difference between continued injury and restored mobility.
KWS continues to encourage responsible behaviour around wildlife habitats as part of broader efforts to protect animals and their environments.
