Kenyan wildlife officers fatally shot one of the country's best-known lions on Wednesday after their attempt to capture it alive attracted a crowd, whose presence upset the animal and led it to injure a bystander.

The lion, a 13-year-old male known as Mohawk for the shape of his mane, was a tourist favorite in Nairobi National Park. His death was met with outrage online.

The lion escaped from the Nairobi National Park on Wednesday and ended up in Isinya town, 12 miles away, Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Paul Udoto said.

In recent weeks, the Nairobi National Park has had several lion escapes. All but Mohawk have been recaptured alive.

Last month, a pride of lions made its way into residential areas in Nairobi during the night, leaving officials scrambling to find them. Some animals eventually returned to the park.

The park is home to giraffes, leopards, buffaloes and other animals grazing on vast grasslands - the city's skyscrapers in the background. It is mostly bounded by an electric fence to keep animals inside.

The Kenya Wildlife Service said it is not sure why there is an increase in escapes, but wildlife conservationists cite habitat loss as the central reason.

Nairobi is among the fastest growing African cities, attracting large scale development. The park is getting encroached on by lucrative development projects.