A rare lion that was the focus of a popular Channel 4 show has died at Chester Zoo.

Iblis the Asiatic lion was found dead aged 18 this week at the zoo in Cheshire.

He ‘captured the heart of millions with his regal, majestic presence’ during this 15 years at Chester Zoo, staff said.

Iblis came to stardom when he featured in a Channel 4 documentary, The Secret Life of the Zoo. Known for his ‘deep, booming call’, he ‘far exceeded’ the usual lifespan of wild lions, with most males often only reaching 16 years of age.

Asiatic lions are endangered and one of the world’s rarest big cat species, numbering less than 900 still living in the wild.

They used to span Africa, Greece, Turkey and Asia, but now roam in a single forest in India.

This has left the species particularly vulnerable to dis

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