In a tragic incident, a wild male lion from Africa, unable to withstand hunger, approached a nearby village in search of prey and was killed by its residents.
According to BBC and other foreign media outlets on May 13th, a lion attacked and killed cattle on the 10th of the same month in the Olkerunyiet village near the Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, but lost its life to the spears thrown by the locals.
The lion, estimated to be 19 years old and named “Runkito,” was very old and weak, according to Paul Gathitu, a spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service. Lions in the wild usually live for an average of about 13 years.
The Lion Guardians, a wildlife conservation organization working to preserve lion populations in Amboseli National Park, posted news of Runkito’s death on social media.
When food sources become scarce, lions sometimes wander far from protected areas to search for prey. When lions attack livestock, they often come into conflict with humans. In order to protect their safety and property, villagers sometimes kill lions.
Experts say that conflicts between humans and lions increase during severe droughts. Due to climate change, lions have a hard time hunting, and they often leave the park to attack livestock in nearby villages, leading to more conflicts with humans.
Wildlife conservationist Paula Kahumbu said, “The government needs to do more to protect endangered wild lions,” according to a BBC report.
Meanwhile, six lions entered a village in Kenya on the 13th of May and attacked 10 goats and a dog in a livestock pen, and were killed by the villagers.
According to the Daily Nation’s report on the 14th, the Kenya Wildlife Service stated that “10 lions have been killed in the Amboseli ecosystem since last week” in a statement, and officials met with local residents to discuss the issue.
