Lion kills businessman at luxury safari lodge in Namibia after he stepped out of tent to use toilet
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Businessman mauled to death by lion after stepping out of his tent to use the toilet during overnight safari
Bernd Kebbel, 59, was with his wife Conny on a wildlife expedition at a camp with friends in the north of the country before the horror attack. The philanthropist climbed down a ladder from the safety of his rooftop tent mounted on the top of a 4×4, before the beast lunged at him. His desperate screams woke up the rest of the shocked camp in Namibia who rushed to his rescue in the darkness. They bravely chased off the lioness before it could devour its victim. Police said nothing could be done to save the keen outdoorsman who was killed almost instantly in the savage ordeal. The businessman has two grown-up children, Dieter and Heidi, both in their late twenties. They are said to have moved to South Africa where they went to university before pursuing their careers. It is understood they are flying home to comfort their devastated mum Conny, 57, at their home in Windhoek.
EATEN ALIVE Businessman mauled to death by lion after stepping out of his tent to use the toilet during overnight safari
A BUSINESSMAN who spent large sums of money supporting Namibian desert lions has been killed by one of them – after leaving his camping tent to use the loo.
Dad-of-two Bernd Kebbel, 59, was with his wife Conny on a wildlife expedition at a camp with friends in the north of the country before the horror attack.
Advertisement
3 A wealthy philanthropist who spent large sums of money supporting desert lions has been killed by one Credit: Supplied
3 Bernd Kebbel, 59, had been with his wife Conny in a roof tent on a 4×4 on Friday during a wildlife expedition with friends in Namibia Credit: Supplied
3 He was attacked in a horror ordeal by a lion in Namibia (stock) Credit: Alamy
The tragedy unfolded when Kebbel got up in the early hours of Friday morning.
The philanthropist climbed down a ladder from the safety of his rooftop tent mounted on the top of a 4×4, before the beast lunged at him.
His desperate screams woke up the rest of the shocked camp in Namibia who rushed to his rescue in the darkness.
They bravely chased off the lioness before it could devour its victim.
Advertisement
Namibian police said nothing could be done to save the keen outdoorsman who was killed almost instantly in the savage ordeal.
His body was covered up until authorities could arrive.
It is believed that the lioness with cubs – named by locals as Charlie – may be hunted and shot dead.
A Namibian lion expert said: “Thankfully it would have been quick as a human is no match for a lioness that is in its prime.
Advertisement
“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 expert added: “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.”
Terrifying moment escaped lion roams through the streets of quiet town in Mexico sparking chaos among locals
The businessman has two grown-up children, Dieter and Heidi, both in their late twenties.
They are said to have moved to South Africa where they went to university before pursuing their careers.
Advertisement
It is understood they are flying home to comfort their devastated mum Conny, 57, at their home in the capital Windhoek.
Kebbel owned the Off-Road-Centre in Namibia’s main city Windhoek which bought and sold 4×4 safari vehicles and accessories needed in the wild.
Lion expert Izak Smit said that Namibia’s most famous lion expert Dr Philip “Flip” Stander had named an adult male Kebbel in his honour.
He said it was to recognise the large sums of money he paid into looking after lions.
Advertisement
The tragic death of Kebbel was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Namibian Police who said 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.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the tourism ministry confirmed that officials had been dispatched to the site.
They said: “We can confirm that Mr Kebbel was killed.
Advertisement
“Our team is on the ground investigating.”
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Lion Kills Wealthy Businessman in Bathroom Trip Gone Wrong
Bernd Kebbel, 59, was killed “almost instantly” on Friday morning as his wife Conny, 57, listened in horror from their tent. A lioness locally known as Charlie is suspected of carrying out the attack. Authorities said the lioness will most likely be hunted and killed to prevent further attacks. The philanthropist owned the Off-Road-Centre in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, which bought and sold 4×4 safari vehicles.
Bernd Kebbel, 59, was killed “almost instantly” on Friday morning as his wife Conny, 57, listened in horror from their tent, the Daily Mail reported. Kebbel was reportedly sleeping in a tent with his wife above a 4×4 on a campsite when he stepped down in the middle of the night and met his end at a camp in Northern Namibia.
Investigating police added that there was not much Kebbel could have done to fend off the attack.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Thankfully, it would have been quick as a human is no match for a lioness that is in its prime,” a Namibian lion expert told the Mail. “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.”
A lioness locally known as Charlie is suspected of carrying out the attack. Authorities said the lioness will most likely be hunted and killed to prevent further attacks.
Philanthropist Bernd Kebbel was killed by a lion while on a safari in Northern Namibia. Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty
Kebbel, an avid outdoorsman and businessman, owned the Off-Road-Centre in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, for many years, which bought and sold 4×4 safari vehicles and other items for wildlife ventures. Kebbel was also known as an avid supporter of wildlife in the area, donating large sums of money to protect the area’s lion population, The Sun reported—so much so that an adult male lion was named in his honor. The lion later had to be killed due to becoming a “problem animal” and attacking local wildlife.
Kebbel is survived by his adult children, Dieter and Heidi, both in their late twenties, who are reportedly flying home to Windhoek to be with their mother.
Wealthy philanthropist who spent fortune supporting Namibian desert lions is killed by one after leaving his tent to use the loo
Bernd Kebbel, 59, was asleep with his wife Conny, 57, on a wildlife expedition at a camp in the north of the country. He was blissfully unaware that a hungry lioness was stalking him. As he 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. But 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. There are only about 60 desert lions in the region of Kunane where the attack happened and in this area around the Hoanib Camp maybe a dozen at the very most.
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.
Businessman and wealthy philanthropist Bernd Kebbel, 59 (pictured), who spent large sums of money supporting the Namibian desert lions, was killed in the Kunene Region by one of the predators on Friday morning after leaving his tent to use the toilet
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. Pictured: the safari 4×4 thought to be similar to the vehicle used by Mr Kebbel
According to initial reports, Mr Kebbel (pictured with his wife Conny, 57) 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
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.
It is understood that Mr Kebbel and Conny’s two children, Dieter and Heidi (pictured), both in their late twenties, are now flying home to comfort their devastated mother at their home in the Namibian capital, Windhoek
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.
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 (file image)
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. Pictured: Mr Kebbel with his wife Conny
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’.
Mr Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, a spokesperson for the tourism ministry, said: ‘We can confirm that Mr Kebbel was killed. Our team is on the ground investigating’ (file image)
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’.
Lion kills businessman at luxury safari lodge in Namibia after he stepped out of tent to use toilet
Bernd Kebbel, 59, was camping with his wife and friends near Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in the Sesfontein area. He was attacked when he stepped out of his tent to use the toilet, police said. The mauling marks at least the second deadly lion attack in Africa in less than six weeks. In April a lion killed a 14-year-old girl outside Kenya’s capital in a ranch to the south of Nairobi National Park.
Kebbel, 59, was camping with his wife and friends near Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in the Sesfontein area when he was attacked by the animal, the Namibian newspaper reported.
He was attacked when he stepped out of his tent to use the toilet, environment ministry spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela told local news outlet Informante.
Other campers managed to scare off the lion but Kebbel was already dead by then, he said.
Police were “attending the scene and a full report will be submitted in due course,” spokesperson Elifas Kuwinga said.
According to the Daily Mail, Kebbel was a philanthropist who supported wildlife conservation in Namibia and once owned Off-Road-Centre, which sold accessories for safari vehicles.
A lion is pictured at the Hoanib River drainage in northern Namibia, Feb. 8, 2023. Chen Cheng/Xinhua via Getty Images
Desert-adapted lions roam the remote northwest of the country where mountains and sand dunes meet.
In 2023, they were estimated to be around 60 adults and more than dozen cubs.
But their numbers have dipped in recent months following a drought-induced drop in prey and conflict with humans.
Last August, Namibia authorized the culling of hundreds of animals, including elephants, as part of a plan to feed people in the drought-stricken country.
The mauling marks at least the second deadly lion attack in Africa in less than six weeks. In April, a lion killed a 14-year-old girl outside Kenya’s capital in a ranch to the south of Nairobi National Park.