Wealthy philanthropist who spent fortune supporting Namibian desert lions is killed by one after leaving his tent to use the loo
A wealthy philanthropist who spent large sums of money supporting the Namibian desert lions has been killed by one of the predators after leaving his tent to use the toilet.
Businessman Bernd Kebbel, 59, was asleep with his wife Conny, 57, on a wildlife expedition at a camp in the north of the country, blissfully unaware that a hungry lioness was stalking him.
As the father-of-two climbed down a ladder from the safety of his rooftop tent, mounted on the top of a 4 x 4, the man-eating beast was lying in wait in the dark and attacked him.
His desperate screams woke up the rest of the shocked camp who rushed to his rescue in the darkness and bravely chased off the lioness before it could devour its victim.
However the Namibian police, investigating the case, said that nothing could be done to save the keen outdoorsman who was killed almost instantly in the savage lightning fast attack.
His blood-soaked body was covered up until the authorities could arrive and it is feared that the lioness, named by locals as Charlie, may be hunted and shot dead.
The tragedy happened when Mr Kebbel got up in the early hours of Friday morning, unaware that the watching lioness had creeped into the sleeping camp.
According to initial reports, Mr Kebbel climbed down a ladder from the tent on the roof and was then attacked and dragged away by the lioness whose jaws tore into his neck and throat.
A Namibian lion expert who spoke on the agreement of anonymity said: 'Thankfully it would have been quick as a human is no match for a lioness that is in its prime.
'There are only about 60 desert lions in this region of Kunane where the attack happened and in this particular area around the Hoanib Camp maybe a dozen at the very most.
'The desert lions have adapted to the harsh and burning desert environment and have become extremely adept night-time hunters as there is no cover for them during the day.
'They are quick and fast and extremely strong and do not get much opportunity to hunt so can become very hungry – hungry enough to risk attacking a feared human.'
It is understood that Mr Kebbel and Conny's two children, Dieter and Heidi, both in their late twenties, are now flying home to comfort their devastated mother at their home in the Namibian capital, Windhoek.
For many years, Mr Kebbel owned the Off-Road-Centre in Namibia's main city Windhoek which bought and sold 4 x 4 safari vehicles and also sold the accessories required in the wild.
A Namibian lion expert who spoke on the agreement of anonymity said: 'The desert lions are quick and fast and extremely strong and do not get much opportunity to hunt so can become very hungry – hungry enough to risk attacking a feared human' (file image)
Lion expert Izak Smit said that the nation's most famous expert in the field, Dr Philip 'Flip' Stander had even named an adult male Kebbel in his honour.
Mr Smith said it was to recognise the large sums of money Mr Kebbel had paid into looking after lions but, tragically, Kebbel had become a 'problem animal' after allegedly killing the local wildlife.
A big game hunting firm had even offered a £50,000 licence to rich hunters in order to kill the predator, but before the offer was taken up the magnificent solitary male was poisoned by the local farmers.
There are about 38,000 free roaming lions left in Africa, mostly in conservation areas, with the Namibian Ministry of the Environment & Tourist estimating they have just 800.
The majority are in the Etosha National Park, with about 110 in the North-West including the Kunene Region where Mr Kebbel was killed while on one of his many wild safaris.
Weighing 170kgs, the desert lionesses can run at up to 50mph and measure two metres long, not including the tail. Meanwhile, their powerful jaws have teeth up to four inches long.
With very little water in the desert areas along the Skeleton Coast and in the mountains, inland the lions get their liquid from the bodies of prey like ostrich and antelope and seals.
But, as villages move further and further into lion territory, creating increased human/lion conflict, the predators often attack livestock and villagers reply by shooting, snaring or poisoning them.
The violent death of Mr Kebbel was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Namibian Police who said that it happened near the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp.
A Namibian police spokesman said: 'There were brave efforts by fellow campers who drove the animal away but it was too late to save him from the fatal injuries inflicted to his neck'
Mr Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, a spokesperson for the tourism ministry, confirmed that officials had been dispatched to the site, adding: 'We can confirm that Mr Kebbel was killed. Our team is on the ground investigating'.
He added, however, that it was too early to make a decision on what would happen to the lioness and they would rely on an experts report.
Close friend Sharon Baines said on social media: 'What a shock Bernd & Conny as you were just settling in to enjoy the best years of life and everyone is just devastated right now.
'Gentle Bernd your smile and humility will be remember and you made the world a better place. Conny, Heidi and Dieter, there are no words, but we wish you strength and love'.
Another post from Marius Burger read: 'Desert lions adapted to survive in the harshest of terrain so are very dangerous as they can be starving and just desperate to find fresh prey.
'Sadly this lioness has tasted human blood and flesh and will have lost its natural fear of a human. There will be little choice than to hunt it down and euthanise it'.
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