The World Mourns Cecil The Lion After Being Beheaded by US Dentist

Photograph: Bryan Orford/YouTube

We are sad to report on the death of beloved lion, Cecil. Cecil, a 13-year-old black-maned lion was lured out of a Zimbabwe National Park, shot with a crossbow, killed with a rifle and then beheaded buy an American dentist authorities have identified as Walter James Palmer.

Cecil was a tagged lion residing in the Hwange National Park and a protected animal under international law. Cecil was killed on July 1, later details surfaced suggesting that the lion was lured out of the park using an animal carcass that had been tied to the bumper of the hunting party's vehicle. Party allegedly drove slowly to keep the lion's attention until it was successfully lured outside of the perimeter of the park where is was shot with a crossbow, and the dying lion was tracked for 40 hours before being killed. The vehicle, Walter Palmer, and the hunting party were on private property just outside of the national Park.

According to reports made by the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, two individuals were arrested before learning that Palmer was in fact the shooter; The Telegraph was the first news authority to name the shooter.

In a statement issued by Palmer, which we first saw on GrindTV, he said:

“I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted." Followed by, “I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.”

Hunting collared animals is an illegal practice by international legislation; such animals are considered protected and are used for research initiatives. Cecil had been part of a longstanding Oxford University research program that had been running since 1999.

Prior to these events, the Star Tribune reports that Palmer was once convicted of poaching a bear in Wisconsin. Palmer regularly travels to different countries to hunt large game and this recent publicity has resulted in criticism by the public. The dentist held a membership with the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association, however, the group has com forward to state that Palmer's membership has been suspended indefinitely, stating that his actions were in violation of the ZPHGA's ethical policies.

According to GrindTV, Palmer's dental office was closed today and his website was taken down.

The pair arrested in association with this crime were reported as being Theo Bronkhorst, a professional hunter and the private land owner of the location where they lured Cecil to his death. Court hearings have been set for August 6.

Cecil is being mourned across the globe, being heralded as one of the most docile animals many had the pleasure of working with. Cecil was real celebrity in the conservation park and quickly became one of the most photographed lions onsite. Beautiful and majestic, Cecil carried an iconic black mane and a personality uniquely friendly to humans. The world has lost a special animal to horrendous hunting practices, but he will be remembered for his contributions to the pursuit of wildlife research and his killers for their unjust, illegal and unethical practices.

Read the original article on GrindTV

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