Bob Junior: Serengeti lion named after Bob Marley killed by rivals

A lion known as the king of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania has been killed by younger rivals.

Named after Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley, the “photogenic” Bob Junior was killed in a vicious attack on Saturday, park officials said.

They said the big cat, believed to be 10 years old, did not put up a fight when he was attacked and killed.

“They wanted to overthrow Bob Junior,” one of the park’s conservation officers, Fredy Shirima, told the BBC.

With his brother, Tryggve, Serengeti’s “coolest cat” had ruled his pride for more than seven years.

“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,” Shirima added.

Tour operators and visitors to the park have paid tribute to Bob Junior, also known as Snyggve, describing him as “legendary”.

Tanzania is home to an estimated 50% of the lion population in sub-Saharan Africa, with Serengeti alone home to around 3,000 lions.