19-Year-Old Lion Killed By Herders In Kenya

A lion considered to be the oldest in Amboseli National Park in Kenya died on Friday, May 12 following an attack by herders.

The lion, named Loonkiito, was reportedly speared by herders who were repulsing him in Olkelunyiet village at night on Wednesday, May 10. 

Loonkiito was reported to have attacked livestock in a village bordering the Amboseli National Park towards Kimana town after he had gone into the village in search of food alone, away from the pride.

"The animal entered the cowshed around 9 pm and the owners attacked him with spears before he attacked the animals. It was weak due to old age and succumbed to the spear wounds in its head," a source was quoted by Nation.

A photo of the late lion Loonkiito. /GULF NEWS

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesman Paul Jinaro on his part told AFP that "It was an old lion that had issues...getting prey on its own and livestock is easy prey. A normal lion would go for wildlife inside the park."

Loonkiito was mourned by conservationists who remembered him for his enduring resilience after his brother's death and for losing control of his pride. 

He was documented to have ruled over a large pride of females and cubs until 2017 when he began to lead a lonely life after his brother Ambogga died in a territorial fight and he was injured. 

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Loonkiito (2004 - 2023), the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa. He died yesterday, on the 10th of May 2023 at 19 years old.

"He was a symbol of resilience and coexistence. We at Lion Guardians feel privileged to have borne witness to his life and his legacy," stated the conservation group Lion Guardians on social media, which expressed hope of sharing Loonkiito's life story in the coming weeks and months.

This King of the Jungle was admired for years by wildlife conservationists as most lions do not typically survive for so long in the wild.

According to AZ Animals, female lions have an average lifespan of about 15-16 years in the wild, while males live 8-10 years, depending on their access to nutrition and their natural habitat. However, once a lion reaches age 10, they start to become weak and are unable to provide for themselves as they have been.

Lions that reach age 10 or older may be exiled for their lack of ability to perform the tasks needed of them by the pride. Other male lions will challenge each other for authority over the pride before the defeated male is cast out.

Old age isn’t a luxury that most of these big cats are afforded as the result of conflicts with other male lions to be the alpha male in their pride. Males must leave the pride that they are born in during adulthood, but the struggle to find the power they need to thrive leads to an early death.

Hunger is considered the biggest killer of lions of this age, with females raised to hunt within the pride, giving them the advantage of knowing how to feed themselves. They also are able to live with their birth pride when they are older because they do not have to fight for power.

A lion and a lioness. /TRAVEL + LEISURE

For lions in captivity, the average lifespan can be much greater because they don’t have natural threats. Instead, they are cared for by zookeepers that provide them with healthcare, food, and other necessities.

There are no challenges for power that can overthrow male lions, and no lioness has to hunt for their food. The only possible cause of death for most lions in captivity is their old age.

When provided with the right environment, it isn’t unheard of for a lion to surpass 20 years old, with some cases seeing lions possibly living to be even 25 or 26 years old. Lions tend to do well in captivity, thriving with constant attention from their caregivers.

How Many Lions are Left?

There are just over 100 lions in Amboseli and the big cats are considered  'vulnerable' on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

There are just 23,000 lions left in the wild as their population has decreased by 90 per cent over the last decade, according to African Impact, with most of them living in Africa, with a small population in India.