Authorities in Kenya have reported that a wild male lion, thought to be among the oldest in the world and the oldest in Africa, died after being speared by herders.
The night of May 10th, Loonkiito, a 19-year-old who had preyed on animals, passed away in the village of Olkelunyiet.
In southern Kenya, the settlement abuts Amboseli National Park.
He was referred to as “the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa” by the conservation organization Lion Guardians. Lions typically reach the age of 13 in the wild.
The World Wildlife Federation estimates that with a small population in India, almost all lions are found in Africa.
Paul Jinaro, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), stated on Friday, May 12, that the lion wandered into the hamlet from the park in search of food. The lion was old and feeble.
He was described as “very old” by Jinaro, who declined to clarify if he was the oldest lion in the nation.
Although they can live much longer in captivity, lions typically live for about 13 years in the wild.
