It’s sad news for many animal lovers – especially those who have been able to travel to Tanzania themselves and go on a photo safari in the Serengeti. Because one of the most famous local lions has died. The impressive animal, nicknamed “Bob junior” by local rangers, had become a coveted photo opportunity. With his expressive, amber eyes and black and gold mane, he was considered “the most photogenic lion in the Serengeti”.
He was an extraordinarily handsome animal, says Professor Craig Parker, who is currently researching the life of lions in Africa, the Washington Post. “This male inhabited an area where he was often seen, and he could knock your shoes off because he looked so impressive. He had a silky, imposing mane and tourists always reacted directly to him when they saw him. All he had to do was sit up.”
However, Bob junior had already reached an impressive age: rangers and experts estimated him to be between ten and twelve years old. Wild lions rarely live past the age of 13. However, it was not old age that killed the male lion. Rather, nature showed its cruel side in this case: three younger lions are said to have involved the king of the Serengeti in a fight and killed him. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon when establishing a ranking – and in his old age Bob junior apparently had no chance against his younger competitors.
It sounds somewhat cynical when local rangers express the suspicion that the younger attackers could probably be the magnificent lion’s own offspring. Killed by your own sons, or grandchildren? What sounds terrible also has a positive side: “I’m sure that Bob junior’s genes will spread through the many offspring he has fathered over the years,” the Washington Post quoted an expert as saying. And that these descendants know how to assert themselves, they have now also tragically proven.
Quelle: “Washington Post”
