The Tragic End of Bon Jovi: Zambia Lion Killings
- LionExpose
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 8
A Conservation Icon’s Final Chapter
The last part of his life had a tragic end for a Lion King who earned millions for Conservation, his horrific death was a preventable tragedy.The furore after the news leaked out, yielded more unanswered questions around his death.Bon Jovi deserves some answers…
Translocation of Bon Jovi the Lion
In February 2025, the beautiful Bon Jovi was translocated by African Parks, with support from the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife, from the unfenced Liuwa Plains—his birthplace—to Kafue National Park.
Bon Jovi was well known around the world by photographers and researchers. A statement by African Parks said, “The lion was released in the southern region of Kafue where there is a low density of lions and livestock. We will continue to monitor him in his new home, Kafue.”
The Landscape: Zambia’s Protected Areas and Pressures
Zambia devotes some 30 per cent of its land area to national parks and GMAs—roughly 225,000 km². These areas comprise ~40% of the nation’s land area. Human settlement is generally not permitted in national parks, and wildlife use is limited to non-consumptive photo-tourism. In the GMAs, by contrast, human settlement is permitted and wildlife use is focused primarily on trophy hunting and hunting for meat. Fifty years ago, the area was teeming with wildlife, but relentless human encroachment led to a decline in game and fish stocks, and lion populations were decimated.
Despite their size and potential, the wildlife resources in many GMAs are in a state of decline and are not sufficiently productive in ecological, economic, or social terms.
Why Was Bon Jovi the Lion Outside Liuwa?
Liuwa is 3,660 km² and is located in Western Zambia. It is also reported to have only 15 lions. So why would Bon Jovi have been hunting 18 km outside the unfenced park?
Western Zambia also offers some of the best plains game hunting in Africa, and one of the favourites for hunters is buffalo. The hunting area adjacent to Liuwa is also famous for the magnificent specimens of heavy-maned male lions on offer to wealthy lion trophy hunters.
Dangers in Kafue National Park and the GMAs
Kafue National Park is 22,400 km² and is surrounded by nine Game Management Areas. These are Kasonso Busanga, Mufunta, Mulobezi, Sichifulo, Bilili, Nkala, Namwala, Mumbwa, and Lunga Luswishi. In Mumbwa, roughly 10 per cent of its population live adjacent to the park and it had the highest number of caught poachers in Kafue between 2000 and 2006.
Mumbwa GMA is also closest to Lusaka, which is a big market for illegal wildlife products. Human populations on the boundaries of Kafue National Park are rapidly expanding; cattle herders and villages have been, and are, putting themselves right on the boundary of protected areas. But, was the area where Bon Jovi was ultimately killed inhabited by illegal cattle herders or not?
Was Bon Jovi the Lion Properly Released?
When African Parks and DNPW (collar by EarthRanger), decided to dart, catch, collar, and then dump Bon Jovi in Kafue, surely lion experts knew that once this lion recovered from the shock and stress, he would be at his most vulnerable—alone, hungry, lost in a foreign land. He would, at all costs, try and navigate home…
Why on earth was he not left in a soft boma release area to acclimatise?
Why did African Parks, who claimed to be watching him, stop reporting on his whereabouts?
Conflicting Reports on Bon Jovi the Lion’s Whereabouts
This report was posted on 9th April on the Conservation National Parks Facebook page:
“Since his release into Kafue, he’s been making moves: covered over 200 km, crossed the Kafue River four times. Now settling on the eastern edge of Busanga Plains, prime lion habitat with abundant prey and plenty of company.
With a satellite collar and geofence alerts via EarthRanger, he's under close watch by our team and aerial support unit. No Human-Wildlife Conflict incidents have been reported, and so far, no community alerts have been needed. He’s staying well within the park ecosystem. Kafue is now home to around 300 lions, and we’re hopeful this bold male will find his place among them.”
—African Parks, Department of National Parks & Wildlife, Ministry of Tourism Zambia, Liuwa Plain National Park
And then this separate statement from African Parks:
“The lion was released into the southern region of Kafue, where there is a low density of lions and minimal chance of him moving into an area where he would encounter people and livestock. We will continue to monitor him in his new home in Kafue.”
Conflicting information regarding the area Bon Jovi was dumped in? One says plenty of company, the other says low density?
These reports stopped in mid-April, and Bon Jovi was confirmed dead by photographer Inki Mandt end April....
What Really Happened to Bon Jovi the Lion?
A tweet by LionExpose got African Parks tagged on X, and with other platforms, a sudden media whitewash appeared, which raised even more questions—followed by blanket silence—from African Parks yielding their fists over all the voices from lion enthusiasts around the world.
No evidence has been presented. No official statements from DNPW.
Three different scenarios…
One received by a colleague described a horrendous, heinous conflict where Bon Jovi was attacked and killed in a lynching style hunt, and that the authorities have images of his carcass, but won’t release it for fear of sparking public outcry.
Another report in the media says that the DNPW led an operation to dart and humanely euthanase him due to his deterioting condition...
And, thirdly, there were two permitted tags for trophy lions. Informers, in fear for their lives, sent communication via the bush telegraph that Bon Jovi was left to be trophy hunted.
The Deafening Silence from Authorities
With respect to all the tourists and photographers globally entering Zambia, and some who travelled just to see Bon Jovi, plus millions of followers who have helped make Liuwa Plains feature on the sightings map, for these people—the silence is deafening…
We think a public statement from DNPW and evidence to support what they claim is way overdue.
LionExpose
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