The oldest lion in Amboseli National Park has died at the age of 19.
The male lion, named Lonkiito, was speared by herders in Olkelunyiet village at around 9pm Wednesday night after preying on livestock. The village borders Amboseli National Park towards Kimana town.
According to reliable sources who spoke to the Nation in confidence, the old, frail lion had waded into the village from the park in search of food. The lion was said to have wandered alone, away from the pride he protected in his prime.
Loonkito still ruled over a large pride of females and cubs until 2017, when he began to lead a lonely life. In 2017, his brother Ambogga died in a territorial fight. Loonkito himself was badly injured but survived. Since then he has been struggling to defend his territory and his family.
“The animal entered the cowshed around 9pm when 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,” said a source.
No human or domestic animal was injured during the scuffle, which lasted less than 15 minutes.
The carcass was collected by the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).
Mr Daniel Sampu, Senior Coordinator, Predator Compensation at Big Life Foundation, said the killing of the lion signified intense human-wildlife conflict along the Amboseli wildlife corridor.
“This is purely a human-wildlife conflict. The local people have been living with wildlife for ages. The pastoralists are on high alert to protect the few animals left by the recent severe drought. Such incidents must be discouraged,” he said.
The incident has been strongly condemned by local conservationists, who are urging locals to refrain from killing wildlife.
Lions are one of the Big 5 animals in Amboseli National Park.
According to KWS, there are over 100 lions in Amboseli and they are often seen following the road in the early morning or late evening.
Lions are one of the most important members of the Big 5 in Amboseli National Park. According to KWS, there are over 100 lions in Amboseli and they are often seen following the road in the early morning or late evening.
Cases of locals killing lions and other wildlife in the vast Kajiado County are not new, recalling the 2012 incident, not exclusive, when angry residents killed six lions that had mauled 28 livestock in Kitengela, Kajiado County on the outskirts of Nairobi.
According to the KWS report, on Thursday 15th December 2022, during the day, a crowd of about two hundred people from Esaronoto village, Imbuko location, Mashuuru Sub County within Kajiado County, reportedly went on a spearing spree on elephants in the area after one of their own, Mr Nelson Lepilal Somoire, was killed a day earlier while riding home on a bicycle.
Angry members of the public killed a pregnant female elephant with a spear in Esaronoto village. Several other elephants fled to safety with spear wounds, as evidenced by blood droppings on the nature trails/escape routes.
Attempts to contact KWS spokesperson Teresia Igiria were unsuccessful. She had not responded to calls or texts by the time of going to press.
