He was the heraldic animal of the Herberstein animal world. As became known only now, audience favorite Simba died on Thursday at the age of 19 for Berber lions.
“The King of Herberstein”
Lion Simba was born on March 15, 2001 in Olomouc in the Czech Republic and came from Schönbrunn Zoo in Eastern Styria in February 2004, where he was socialized with the lion male Brutus. He maintained a congenial ‘lion-male friendship’ with him until his death in summer 2016.
Animal world manager Doris Wolkner-Steinberger likes to remember her first encounter with the impressive big cat: “For me, Simba was ‘the king of the animals’ in Herberstein from the beginning. That is why I chose him as the heraldic animal of the Styrian state animal garden 13 years ago” .
Succession secured
Simba spent his senior years alone in the enclosure. Lion cubs have a life expectancy of up to 12 years in the wild. On Thursday afternoon its unmistakable roar was heard for the last time before it fell silent forever.
It is therefore all the more important for the zoological facility that the Berber lion pair Amira and Caesar and their “royal offspring” can continue to provide active species protection.
