One of Kenya’s oldest lions has died at age 19 according to reports.
The male lion, named Loonkiito, was speared by local herders in Olkelunyiet village on Wednesday night after preying on livestock. The village borders Amboseli National Park – on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson Paul Jinaro told the BBC that the lion was old and frail and wandered into the village from the park in search of food.
Mr Jinaro could not confirm if it was the oldest lion in the country but noted it was “very old”.
Lion Guardians, a conservation organisation, said Loonkiito was the oldest male lion in its ecosystem and possibly in Africa.
“He was a symbol of resilience and coexistence,” the organisation said in a statement.
Paula Kahumbu, a wildlife conservationist and chief executive officer of WildlifeDirect, said she was pained by the killing of the lion and called for measures to protect wildlife in the country.
“This is the breaking point for human-wildlife conflict and we need to do more as a country to preserve lions, which are facing extinction,” Ms Kahumbu told the BBC.