Two arrested for killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe

Authorities in Zimbabwe are trying track down a Spanish hunter who paid park guides $55,000
(£35,000) for the pleasure of killing Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions, who was the star
attraction of Hwange National Park. He was found skinned and headless on the outskirts of the
park. The two people who accompanied the hunter have already been arrested.

The 13-year-old lion, wearing a GPS collar, was tricked into leaving the park, by hunters who used an animal carcass to tempt him out, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The hunters then tracked the dying animal for 40 hours before they finished it off with a rifle.

This  technique of enticing lions out of parks is commonly used so that so called hunters can “legally” kill protected lions.

Cecil was currently father to six cubs; they will now be killed by whichever new male moves in
to take over his pride, in order to encourage the lionesses to mate.

He was part of an Oxford University study looking into the impact of sports hunting on lions
living in the safari area surrounding the national park. The research found that 34 of 62 tagged lions died during the study period. 24 were shot by sport hunters. Sport hunters in the safari areas surrounding the park killed 72% of tagged adult males from the study area.

Cecil was the Hwange's biggest tourist attraction. The amount of money he generated from
photography in a couple of weeks far exceeds the one off payment that someone accepted for his
death.

This is unethical hunting at its worst. I hope they find who did it and stick one of his arrows 
where the sun doesn't shine. What an utter waste of a beautiful animal.

A complete review of lion hunting, including "canned hunting'"is called for and the whole messy business should be stopped for good.