Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Saturday announced the death of a charismatic male lion from an undisclosed illness at its natural habitat inside Nairobi National Park.
The majestic lion named Sirikoi was born in January 2014 in the Sosian Valley, located in the north-western Kenyan county of Laikipia. He came from the MF family, one of the most dominant and charismatic pride, says KWS in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Sirikoi was a majestic lion with tactical and profound hunting skills that enabled him to attack and subdue big prey like giraffes and buffaloes alone, according to KWS.
“Notably, he had a distinctive dark mane which is a strong indicator of a lion’s health, vigor and strength as well as testosterone levels,” said KWS.
Prior to his demise, Sirikoi had sired offspring with female counterparts at the Nairobi National Park, a wildlife sanctuary located on the south-eastern edge of the Kenyan capital.
The iconic lion will be immortalized at the National Museum of Kenya, according to KWS.
According to a wildlife census from Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife released in August 2021, the country’s lion population stood at 2,000 but the carnivores were grappling with myriad threats including habitat loss, poaching, and climate-induced shocks and diseases. ■
