LUSAKA, Zambia

Bernd Kebbel, a Namibian businessman and well-known philanthropist who supported wildlife conservation, was killed by a lioness while on safari, the country's Tourism Ministry and police said Saturday.

Kebbel, 59, was camping with his wife, Conny, 57, and a group of friends near the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in the Kunene Region's Sesfontein area, nearly 700 kilometers (434 miles) north of the capital Windhoek.

While his wife slept in the tent set up on the roof of his vehicle, Kebbel went outside to relieve himself when he was attacked by a lioness and bitten in the neck, according to on-site reports gathered by Tourism Ministry officials and police.

"We can confirm that Mr. Kebbel was unfortunately killed during the incident," Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Ministry spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela told local media.

Separately, Namibian police spokesperson Immanuel Iiduwa announced that a case of human-wildlife conflict has been officially opened as part of the investigation into the incident.

"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 on his neck," Iiduwa said.

Kebbel was also a well-known figure in desert lion conservation circles. According to some media reports, the incident raises questions about human-wildlife interactions in Namibia's remote areas, particularly those involving endangered desert-adapted lions.