Neale Howarth Photography
Tributes have been pouring in on social media for Temba the lion who was the founding father of the white lion pride at the Pumba Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.
Temba's passing was announced by the Reserve in the Makana Municipality of the province on Monday morning.
An emotional Dale Howarth, who is the co-founder of the Reserve, says Temba arrived at Pumba in 2005 as a 16-month-old teenager.
He arrived with two lionesses, with the dream of the Pumba Reserve at the time being to establish the first free-roaming pride of white lions in the world.
Howarth says everyone told him that it would be impossible to achieve but Temba proved them all wrong.
He says what was most unusual and absolutely extraordinary was the fact that Temba was still seen feeding alongside his eldest son, the dominant male, who ensured that his father had enough food to eat until the day he died.
Howarth says just before Temba's peaceful death, they feasted on a giraffe that the son had hunted.
Temba, who was 16 and a half years of age, settled in under a large shady tree on Saturday where he was closely monitored by the Conservation Manager at the Reserve as it was clear that his age was catching up to him.
Temba died shortly after midnight with the lioness Nomatemba, who was his long-time partner, keeping a watching brief.
"Temba lived the most wonderful life, lived it to the full, he was just a good guy," said Howarth.
Temba, who started hunting just three weeks after arriving on the reserve, fathered two litters and was grandfather to another 12 cubs.
