Uganda’s oldest lion Kibonge was buried on Tuesday at Uwec amidst tears and sadness.
“His death has brought a lot of sadness among the zoo keepers,” Jennifer Nandutu, head of cats and hoof stocks at the Uganda Wild Life Education Center, told The Anadolu Agency.
Kibonge died at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), formerly Entebbe Zoo, on Friday.
The UWEC was painted black as zoo keepers and some members of the public wore black T-shirts with Kibonge’s name and picture printed on them.
Kibonge’s health condition started to deteriorate in 1998 when it was discovered that he had Feline Immunodeficiency Virus which condition he had to live with.
“It was a painful moment for him. He could no longer roar as the only lion in the zoo, he would not eat bones, he had lost his fur, teeth and even had wounds on his thigh joints,” Nandutu said.
“We had to give him minced meat because he had lost most of his teeth and you would see that he never liked eating anymore,” Nandutu added.
“When he was alive he would intervene in some fights now he has left that responsibility to the keepers to do that” a sad Nandutu told the media.
“It is a life well lived and actually we are celebrating his life” another Uwec staff said.
While lions are estimated to weigh between 200-300 kilograms, Kibonge was weighing 150 kilograms at the time of his death.
Kibonge, estimated to be 18-year-old, is reported to have had a total organ failure in a number of his body systems which also led to an enlarged spleen.
Life expectancy for lions is estimated between 10 and 16 years.
“I’m going to miss him most especially during the family fights because he would intervene and stop the fights,” Nandutu said.
Kibonge’s bones will be treated and used for educational purposes.
There are four lionesses in the zoo, including Zara and Biza, Kibonge’s wives, and Flavia and Mutagamba who are Kibonge’s daughters.
Zara and Biza were brought to UWEC in 2009 from Paradise Wild Life Park in London.
UWEC executive-director James Musinguzi said that the center has received a donation from Lion Park South Africa to buy a 6-year-old lion to replace Kibonge.
He said the center is awaiting a permit from Ministry of Wildlife Tourism and Antiquities to bring a new lion from South Africa.
“The South Africans will process the export permit, so this should take a few weeks from now, surely by the Christmas season we think this lion should have arrived here,” he said.
Musinguzi said that the center is also planning to export one of Kibonge’s daughters to Yokohama zoo in Japan.
“This is a process of keeping the genes mixing so that we don’t have inbreeding taking place,” he said.
“This is a breeding loan. We are loaning Yokohama zoo this lioness so that it can breed other lions and lionesses for the global zoo community.”
There are 32,000 lions and lionesses in Africa, of which 415 are in Uganda, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
“The number of lions in Uganda is tremendously low about 415 so it is me and you to join hands and see what we can do to change this trend” Musinguzi said as mourners sprinkled flowers in Kiboge’s grave.
The lions and lionesses are spread out with 144 in Queen Elizabeth National Park, 130 at Murchison Falls National Park, 130 at Kidepo Valley National Park, 8 at Ntoro Semiliki National Park and 5 at Lake Mburo National Park.