Hunt Continues for Spaniard Accused of Killing Famous Zimbabwean Lion

By News on the Net —— Bio and Archives July 29, 2015

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Authorities in Zimbabwe are searching for a Spaniard who is suspected of paying park guides €50,000 for the opportunity to kill Cecil the lion, The Guardian reports. Cecil, star attraction of the Hwange national park, was found skinned and headless on the edge of the park earlier this month.

Hunters first shot the 13-year-old lion with a bow and arrow, then tracked him for 40 hours, before ending his life with a rifle. A source familiar with the situation told National Geographic that hunters will lure big cats out of protected areas, into areas where it is permissible to hunt, known as “hunting concessions,” using bait. It “indicates to me a level of desperation by the hunting operators. No big male lions remain in their hunting concession areas, despite their claims of ‘sustainable’ hunting practices,” the source said. More...