Deceased

Bob Junior

Also known as Snyggve · King of the Serengeti

c. 2010 – 11 March 2023

Born in Namiri Plains area, eastern Serengeti, Tanzania

Bob Junior, whose given name was Snyggve, was one of the most celebrated lions of the modern Serengeti and the best-known lion among safari guides and photographers in Tanzania. With amber eyes and a heavy golden-black mane that reached almost to his belly, he and his brother Marley held the Namiri Plains of the eastern Serengeti for around seven years and became the faces of a lion dynasty that began with their father, the legendary C-Boy.

Both brothers were named when they were only about six weeks old by Swedish wildlife photographer Daniel Rosengren. In Swedish, snygg means handsome and trygg means safe or steady. Guides gave him the name the world came to know, Bob Junior, in honour of his father, whom they called Bob, or Bob Marley, for his magnificent dark mane.

In March 2023 Bob Junior was killed near Namiri Plains in a fight with younger male lions who had come to take over the territory. Marley disappeared at around the same time and is presumed dead. Tributes poured in from around the world, and visitors who had travelled from Europe and beyond just to see him remembered him as legendary.

~7Years of reign

~12Age at death

~22Lionesses in his pride

2Males in his coalition

Profile

Identity

Name: Bob JuniorThe name he is best known by
Nicknames: Snyggve (given name), BJ, King of the Serengeti, Africa’s most photogenic lion
Origin of the name: Named at about six weeks old by Swedish photographer Daniel RosengrenSnygg means handsome in Swedish
Sex: Male
Distinguishing features: Heavy golden-black mane reaching almost to his belly; amber eyes
Weight: Information not availableFor reference, adult male lions usually weigh 150–260 kg

Birth & Family

Born: c. 2010Some sources give 2012–2013
Birthplace: Namiri Plains area, eastern Serengeti, TanzaniaExact birth site not recorded
Birth pride: Information not availableHe was born on the Namiri Plains while C-Boy and Hildur ruled the area
Father: C-Boy (“Bob”, “Bob Marley”)
Mother: Information not available
Siblings: Marley (brother)

Reign

Pride king: Yes, dominant pride male
Prides ruled: The Namiri Plains prides
Pride size: Around 22 lionesses
Reign: About 7 years (c. 2016 – 2023)
Ruled with: Marley
Coalition: Bob Junior & Marley
Home range: Namiri Plains, Soit Le Motonyi area, eastern Serengeti
Territory size: Information not available

Death

Died: 11 March 2023Some reports give 12 March
Age at death: About 12 yearsReports range from 10 to 13
Cause of death: Natural: killed by rival male lions in a territorial fight
Place of death: Near Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Burial: ReportedConservationists were reported to be preparing a special burial; details were not announced

Names & Meanings

SnyggveGiven name

From the Swedish word snygg, meaning handsome. Given by Swedish wildlife photographer Daniel Rosengren when the cub was about six weeks old.

Bob JuniorNickname used by guides

Means “son of Bob”. Guides called his father, C-Boy, Bob or Bob Marley, after the reggae singer, because of his dark, dreadlock-like mane.

BJShort form

The initials of Bob Junior.

King of the SerengetiTitle

Given by fans and the media for his striking looks and long reign over the Namiri Plains.

Family & Lineage

FatherC-BoyAlso called “Bob” or “Bob Marley”. A famous dark-maned male who survived an attack by three rival males in 2009 and died in June 2018 at about 14.View record →Father’s coalition partnerHildurKnown to guides as “Ziggy”. Ruled the Namiri area alongside C-Boy.View record →

LionessMotherHer identity has not been publicly documented.

SnyggveBob Juniorc. 2010 – 2023

Brother & co-rulerMarleyGiven name Tryggve, also called Joel. Ruled Namiri Plains beside Bob Junior and is presumed to have died during the same takeover in 2023.View record →

Reported sonsThe Golden BoysRollo, Rasta and Kaka are widely described as his sons, though this has never been scientifically confirmed.

Life Story

c. 2010
Born on the eastern Serengeti plains, a son of C-Boy, during the era when C-Boy and Hildur dominated the Namiri area.
Six weeks old
Named Snyggve by Swedish wildlife photographer Daniel Rosengren, who named his brother Tryggve at the same time.
Youth
Like all young males, Bob Junior and Marley left their birth pride and lived as nomads. Guests at Namiri Plains in 2016 remember the two young males sleeping outside their tents.
c. 2016
The brothers took control of the Namiri Plains prides and began a reign of around seven years.
June 2018
Their father C-Boy died at about 14 years old, unusually long for a wild male lion.
2016 – 2023
Bob Junior became one of the most photographed lions in Africa, often seen resting on the kopjes that overlook the plains.
11 March 2023
Killed near Namiri Plains by three young males of the Saba Bora, a coalition of seven brothers taking over the territory. Marley is presumed to have died at around the same time.