JAKARTA - Loonkito, who may be one of the oldest lions in the world, has been killed in Kenya at the age of 19, according to Lion Guardians conservation, the aftermath of the classic conflict between humans and wild animals.
The lion was killed on Wednesday last week by the owner of a livestock coop, which Loonkito entered in the middle of the night to look for prey from hunger, the organization said.
He is "the oldest male in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa," said Lion Guardians, who announced his departure "with a heavy heart," reported by CNN May 16.
"He is a symbol of resilience and coexistence. We at Lion Guardians are honored to have witnessed his life and legacy," he added.
The organization attributes the longer life of older wild lions recently, in a landscape where "a decade ago, we didn't have a lion that survived past the age of 10 years," with local community efforts sharing land with big cats.
The dramatic increase in energy and material demand over the past 50 years has made humans and lions compete for space and resources, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) website.
Lions will travel long distances, sometimes exploring outside protected areas, to look for prey when their food sources are reduced, and can pose risks to the human community when they prey on their livestock.
Ironically, farmers often kill them in retaliation or to prevent conflict.
Unfortunately, Loonkito is "trapped in this dynamic," the Lion Guardians said.
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Kenya has experienced its worst drought in the last four decades. The organization says the end of drought is usually marked by an increase in conflict between humans and lions, as wild prey becomes more difficult to hunt and livestock owners become "very alert" after losing so many animals.
This incident "is a difficult situation for both sides, humans and lions," the organization added.
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