Farewell to the ‘King of the Serengeti’: Fearsome lion named after Bob Marley is killed by rivals

The formidable head of a pride of lions has been killed in a vicious attack by younger rivals. 

Bob Junior – named after legendary reggae singer Bob Marley – was an incredibly photogenic big cat and a fan favourite with tour operators and visitors, who have paid tribute to him online. 

With his brother Tryggve, the ‘coolest cat’ in the Serengeti National Park had ruled his pride for more than seven years. 

The lion, who was also known as Snyggve and who some believed relished his celebrity status, did not put up a fight when he was mauled by younger rivals on Saturday. 

Tryggve is also believed to have been killed in a separate attack and a special burial is being planned by wildlife conservationists for the brothers. 

Circle of life: The fearsome big cat had been at the top of his pride for seven years before younger rivals decided that it was time for a bloody coup 

With his brother Tryggve, the ‘coolest cat’ in the Serengeti, Bob Junior, made the most of his fame – and always knew when there was a camera around

Serengeti conservation official Fredy Shirima told the BBC that the younger rivals would have been plotting to depose their leader. 

‘These incidents normally happen when the head of a pride becomes old or sometimes when the other male lions are not happy with his control over a large territory.’

Mr Shirima said the environment workers were trying to ascertain exactly what fate befell Tryggve, as the attacks that killed the brothers were separate.  

The Serengetic is home to around 3,000 lions and in the wild, adult male lions have  lifespan of between eight and ten years.