The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has confirmed that a lone lioness that killed a prominent Namibian businessman on Friday, was shot and killed on Sunday in the Hoanib River area of the Kunene region.
The decision to put down the lioness was made for public safety reasons, ministry spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela said in a statement on Monday.
“The ministry confirms that a lone lioness was put down on Sunday, 1June. The decision followed continuous monitoring by the ministry staff, which revealed that the animal had become habituated and was posing an ongoing threat to both community members and tourists,” the statement reads.
The incident occurred on Friday, 30 May, when businessman Bernd Kebbel (59) was fatally attacked while camping along the Hoanib River.
The ministry said Kebbel was ambushed by the lioness after leaving his tent in the early morning hours.
“Although fellow campers managed to chase the lioness away, it was unfortunately too late,” the statement notes.
Kebbel was widely recognised for generously supporting the conservation of Namibian desert lions through financial contributions.
He was also renowned within the community of researchers focusing on desert lion studies.
The Kunene police say the lioness pulled Kebbel down and inflicted severe bites on his head and neck.
