Cecil the Lion was killed by a hunter who bribed a ranger in a Zimbabwe reserve so the beast could be lured from protection and ambushed by bow and arrow. The arrow missed its fatal mark and the 13-year-old master of a pride suffered for nearly two days.
The Spanish hunter paid over $55,000 to be able to kill the lion, Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force head Johnny Rodrigues told
CNN. The hunter’s arrow wounded the lion which lingered for nearly 40 hours before the man finally put it out of its misery with a rifle shot.
“Cecil was attracted to an area outside the Zimbabwean reserve with... bait, and a Spanish hunter shot him with a bow and arrow,”
Rodrigues told The Times.
The hunter, with two companions, then skinned the 13-year-old lion and kept its head as a trophy. According to Rodrigues, authorities confiscated the animal’s remains as evidence, but haven't detained any suspects.
A safari operator has been arrested and has an Aug. 6 hearing date.
The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association announced via Facebook last week that the obviously affluent hunter was one of their members but didn't identify him.
The lion’s death raises concerns for the animal’s cubs living in the conservatory. Without Cecil to protect them, about 24 cubs risk of attack from other adult lions seeking to dominate Cecil’s pride.
Cecil wore a tracking collar and was a part of an Oxford University research effort.
"It's not many months ago that I watched Cecil, with my hand on my heart as he strayed toward a hunting concession," David Macdonald, Oxford professor and founding director of the university’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, told CNN. "On that occasion he turned back into the protection of the park, but this time he made a fatal mistake and I feel deeply sad, personally.”
Ben Ndlovo, African Bush Camps chief executive, said lion hunting must come to an end.
“In my personal capacity... I strongly object and vehemently disagree with the legalizing and practice of hunting lions in any given area,” he told the
Daily Mail. “I will personally be encouraging Zimbabwe National Parks and engaging with Government Officials to stop the killing of lions and with immediate effect.”
To see Paula French's original photo of Cecil the lion,
click here.
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