The reason why Mohawk, the lion that was killed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers two weeks ago, left the park on the fateful day has been established in the big cat's eulogy.
The beginning of his end began with the death of Kip, a formidable ally who succumbed to natural causes in the Nairobi National Park.
It is said that the loss of a close friend resulted to a lion who couldn’t defend himself as he previously did against male challengers to the throne of a pride.
Thus when Dick, a younger, more energetic male emerged and challenged Mohawk for the leadership of his pride, he lost and was expelled.
“The real test for him came in January this year when a more energetic male called Dick battled Mohawk for the control of the Kingfisher pride. Mohawk lost the battle and was kicked out of the pride", KWS Spokesman, Paul Gathitu told The Standard.
Following the expulsion, Mohawk tried to pass through Alex and Cheru’s (two other lions) territory where he also lost the battles. Information from KWS indicate, Alex and Cheru, incidentally Mohawk's half brothers, were his greatest adversaries.
Venturing out of the park was Mohawk's way of seeking some semblance of peace, which unfortunately turned tragic.
“Having been dethroned, he had no option but to get away from it all. He had no intention of confronting humans,” Gathitu said.
Those who followed him since his early days describe him as a lion that was always at ease with human presence.
Mohawk was said to have left the confines of the park following territorial fights. Tired of the perennial confrontations with rivals, Mohawk was running away and according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), was trying to establish a new territory.
The big cat's death caused an uproar among Kenyans and the international community, who bitterly criticised KWS for killing Mohawk instead of sedating it and taking it back to the park.
