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Tag: rivals

  • Bob Junior lion killed by rivals after 10yrs dominance

    Bob Junior lion killed by rivals after 10yrs dominance

    A lion in Tanzania known as the Serengeti’s King has been murdered by competitors after almost 10 years of dominance.

    Tour operators and visitors to the national park have paid tribute to the “legendary” Bob Junior – also known as Snyggve – online.

    The “photogenic” and “coolest cat” in the Serengeti, Bob Jr had a fearsome reputation among his rivals and had ruled for seven years with the help of his brother, Tryggve.

    Younger rivals are believed to have killed the pair.

    “They wanted to overthrow Bob Junior,” Serengeti conservation officer Fredy Shirima told the media.

    “These incidents normally happen when the head of a pride becomes old or sometimes when the other male lions are not happy with his control over a large territory,” he added.

    “It is assumed his brother also met the same fate, but we are trying to confirm this,” Mr Shirima said, adding that the two were killed in separate but seemingly coordinated attacks.

    Some conservationists said Bob Junior – who was thought to be around 10 years old and named after his father Bob Marley – relished his celebrity status because he was always easy to spot.

    Bob Junior reportedly did not put up a fight when he was attacked and killed on Saturday.

    Wildlife officials are preparing a special burial on a day yet to be announced.
    The Serengeti in northern Tanzania is home to about 3,000 lions, and is popular with local and foreign tourists.

    Tributes to the fallen king have been posted online, including by tour operators.

  •  Hurricane Ian: Rivals Biden and DeSantis display unity

    In order to tour the hurricane Ian damage, US President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis temporarily put their political differences aside.

    Mr. Biden shook hands with the emerging Republican star after viewing the storm’s devastation from a helicopter, and they exchanged compliments.

    At least 108 people were killed by Ian, a category four storm. Mr Biden said Florida’s recovery may take years.

    Officials are searching buildings for more victims as crews begin repairs.

    The president and the Florida governor have previously clashed over pandemic policies, climate change, abortion, and LGBT issues.

    Most recently Mr Biden slammed Mr DeSantis for flying undocumented migrants to the wealthy liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

    But on Wednesday the two had only warm words for one another as they focused on hurricane relief during a joint press conference in the city of Fort Myers.

    Mr DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president in 2024, and his wife met Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on a wharf littered with storm debris.

    Flooded homes seen from the air
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES

    Mr DeSantis thanked the Bidens for coming to Florida and said he had been “very fortunate” to have good coordination with the federal government.

    Mr Biden told reporters that Mr DeSantis had done a “good job”, and that “we have very different political philosophies, but we’ve worked hand in glove”.

    “What the governor’s done is pretty remarkable,” Mr Biden said, adding that he had “recognised there’s a thing called global warming”.

    Mr DeSantis has backed funding to harden Florida’s defences against flooding, but has also argued in the past that global warming is being used as a pretext “to do a bunch of left-wing things”.

    Mr Biden said on Wednesday the debate over whether climate change is happening had finally ended.

    “More fires have burned in the west and the south-west, burned everything right to the ground, than in the entire state of New Jersey, as much room as that takes up,” the president said.

    “The reservoirs out west here are down to almost zero. We’re in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream.”

    Meanwhile, Mr DeSantis received praise from another potential White House rival.

    At an event in Miami, former President Donald Trump lauded his response to the hurricane, saying: “God bless our governor.”

    Mr Trump and his former protege have been circling each other warily ahead of a widely anticipated duel for the 2024 Republican White House nomination.

    Over 278,000 homes and businesses in Florida did not have electricity on Wednesday a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall, according to website poweroutage.us.

    A temporary road to the hard-hit Pine Island – population 9,000 – opened ahead of schedule. But Sanibel Island is still cut off.

    Officials say the death toll from Hurricane Ian may rise as more victims are identified.

    The family of a mother of four from Ohio say she died after travelling to Fort Myers to celebrate her 40th birthday.

    Nishelle Harris-Miles became trapped in an Airbnb rental as floodwaters in the home pushed her towards the ceiling and a nail pierced her main artery, according to local media.