On July 28, Walter James Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, was discovered to be the hunter who shot dead Cecil, one of Zimbabwe’s most loved lions. Palmer, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed, partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact.
Social media users were outraged at the way Cecil was lured out of the national park and shot. Tweeps bashed Palmer, they shared his address and phone number.
#CeciltheLion/RIPCecil - These hashtags trended worldwide on Wednesday.
@MikePattinson: “This is how real men shoot animals: take a picture, not a trophy #CecilTheLion #RIPCecil.” @Vidyut: “Sickest thing about the #CecilTheLion saga is that he was a “locally popular” lion. As though animals sans good PR should be hunted.” @thejasonbarker: “That guy who killed the lion says he wouldn’t have done it if he’d known who it was. So it’s OK to kill nondescript lions? #CecilTheLion.” @jewelszee: “RIP #CecilTheLion my heart is breaking today for you, & for what has become of humanity...” @Kimcatmeow: “#CecilTheLion, oh wow I’m glad to see the internet being outraged by this! Humans can be so disgusting!”
@MCHammer: “Can’t believe this man counted it as valor to lure #CecilTheLion out of his protective home and kill him. #Cowardice”
@Canine_Rights: “How real dentists (real men) treat wild animals worldwide.”
Cecil’s killing has stoked a debate around the activity of trophy hunting of endangered species. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) said that the hunt was not legal. According to the Enkosini Wildlife Sanctuary
The African lions’ numbers are diminishing rapidly due to habitat destruction, persecution by livestock farmers outside of
protected areas, and human greed. 10,000 -1 5,000 free - roaming African lions remain, down from 50,000 a decade ago. The willingness of Asians and Westerners to pay handsomely for lion head trophies means that these great predators are increasingly hunted for sport. Trophy hunting not only depletes the population of the African lion, but threatens its gene pool as well. Killing the dominant male of a pride (normally the target of a trophy hunt) sets off a chain of instinctive behavior in which the subsequent dominant male kills all the young of the previous male (6-8 estimated deaths result from each male shot).
@scordebas: “Take a picture, not a trophy”
@KristinDavis: “#TrophyHunting is disgusting . We must stand up + shame those who do it . To protect the beauty in our world.”
@neondiscofish: “@tarongazoo harming animals and calling it sport voids you of my protection #TrophyHunting folk who need to be culled.”
@BrittaneyBeth: “Can’t even believe that #trophyhunting is still a thing. Killing an animal for sport is absolutely barbaric and senseless #CecilTheLion.”