According to Kenyan officials, a wild male lion thought to be the oldest in Africa and one of the oldest in the world perished after being speared by herders.
Loonkiito, 19, perished on Wednesday night, May 10, after preying on animals in Olkelunyiet village.
In southern Kenya, the settlement borders Amboseli National Park.
He was described as “the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa” by the conservation organisation Lion Guardians. In the wild, most lions live to be roughly 13 years old.
According to the World Wildlife Federation, almost all lions live in Africa, with a small population in India.
According to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson Paul Jinaro, the lion was old and feeble and strayed into the settlement from the park in quest of food.
Jinaro did not confirm whether he was the country’s oldest lion, but he did say he was “very old.”
A lion’s typical lifespan in the wild is about 13 years, though they can live much longer in captivity.
