A male lion, one of the world’s oldest, has died after speared by herders in Kenya. The lion, known as Loonkiito, was 19 years old and died after preying on livestock in Olkelunyiet village, which borders Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.
According to the Lion Guardians conservation group, Loonkiito was “the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa”. Typically, lions live for around 13 years in the wild. While almost all lions live in Africa, a small population can also be found in India.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated that Loonkiito was old and frail and had wandered into the village from the park in search of food. KWS spokesperson, Paul Jinaro, could not confirm if Loonkiito was the oldest lion in the country but did confirm that he was “very old”.
The Maasai-operated Lion Guardians group works to conserve the lion population in Amboseli National Park. Experts have noted that the end of drought often results in an increase in human-lion conflict. Since wild prey recovers and becomes more challenging to hunt. In desperation, lions often turn to take livestock.
The killing of Loonkiito was a “tough situation for both sides, the people and the lion,” according to Lion Guardians.
They eulogised him as “a symbol of resilience and coexistence”. Paula Kahumbu. A wildlife conservationist and CEO of WildlifeDirect expressed her distress at the lion’s killing and called for measures to protect wildlife in the country.