The tragic end of one of the oldest lions in the world – 05/12/2023 – Environment

A wild lion was killed by farmers, according to Kenyan officials. Loonkiito, who was 19 years old, was considered one of the oldest lions living freely in the wild.

He was killed in the village of Olkelunyiet on Wednesday night (10) after attacking livestock raised by residents of the region.

The village borders Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.

The Lion Guardians conservation group said he was “the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa”. Most lions live around 13 years in the wild, although they can live much longer in captivity.

Almost all free-ranging lions are in Africa, but there is a small population in India, according to the World Wildlife Federation.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesman Paul Jinaro told the BBC the lion was old and frail and had wandered into the park village in search of food.

Jinaro could not confirm whether he was the oldest lion in the country, but noted that he was “very old”.

The Lion Guardians group works to conserve the lion population in Amboseli National Park and said the recent drought in the region was “marked by an increase in conflict between humans and lions as wild prey becomes more difficult to hunt”.

“In desperation for food, lions often turn to livestock,” he said.

The group added that Loonkiito’s death was a “difficult situation for both sides, the population and the lion”, and praised the community as “a symbol of resilience and coexistence”.

Paula Kahumbu, a wildlife conservationist and executive director of WildlifeDirect, said she was saddened by the lion’s death and urged action to protect wildlife in the country.

“This is the tipping point for human-wildlife conflict and we need to do more as a country to preserve the endangered lions,” Kahumbu told the BBC.

This article was originally published here