DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA: Legendary Bob Junior, a lion known as the king of the Serengeti has been killed by his rivals, BBC News reported on Wednesday.
Visitors and tour operators to the national park have paid tribute to the “legendary” Bob Junior, also known as Snyggve. Tributes have been posted online to the fallen king, including by tour operators. The “photogenic” and the “coolest cat” in the Serengeti, Bob Junior had a fearsome reputation among his rivals and had ruled for seven years with the help of his brother, Tryggve.
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km² of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves.
The officials believe that younger rivals killed the two brothers. “They wanted to overthrow Bob Junior,” Fredy Shirima, Serengeti conservation officer told the BBC. “These incidents normally occur when the head of a pride becomes old or sometimes when other male lions are not happy with his control over a large area,” he opined.
“It is assumed that his brother also met the same fate, but we are trying to confirm it,” Shirima said and added that the two were killed in separate but apparently coordinated attacks.
Bob Junior was named after his father Bob Marley
Some conservationists are of the view that Bob Junior – who was thought to be approximately 10 years old and named after his father Bob Marley – enjoyed his celebrity status because he was always easy to find. Bob reportedly did not put up a fight when he was attacked and killed on Saturday, according to the officials.
Wildlife officials are preparing for a special burial on a day yet to be announced.
The Serengeti in northern Tanzania is home to around 3,000 lions, and is popular with local and foreign tourists.
