Cecil the Lion Suffered For Hours Before He Died, Researcher Claims

Cecil the Lion suffered for many hours after being shot with a crossbow by American dentist Walter Palmer, a researcher claimed in a new book.

Biologist Andrew Loveridge's memoir "Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil and the Future of Africa's Iconic Cats" claimed that GPS data from Cecil's lion collar suggested that he didn't die until 10 to 12 hours after he was initially shot in 2015, CBS News reported.

Cecil's death caused outrage around the world because the lion was protected and was a local favorite, CBS News reported. Palmer apologized for killing Cecil and said that local professional guides failed to tell him that Cecil was supposed to be off-limits.

Loveridge spoke to many game staff, researchers and community members in the Hwange National Park area to get information about Cecil's death, CNN reported. The author said in the book that media reports that Cecil suffered for 40 hours before his death were "inaccurate and exaggerated," because he couldn't have lived that long with the severe thoracic injury he had when his body was found.

The book said the lion only moved 380 yards from where he was shot in those 10 hours, however, suggesting that he was severely impaired.

The local professional who accompanied Palmer tried to hide the collar when he first saw it, Loveridge wrote, and the researchers didn't notice Cecil's disappearance for six days until they realized the collar wasn't transmitting data, CBS News reported. Palmer was shunned on social media but any charges against him or the hunt's organizers were eventually dropped.

Part of Loveridge's book was published in National Geographic, CBS News reported.

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