In the instance of Cecil the lion, Walter Palmer, an American dentist and recreational game hunter from Minnesota paid $50,000 to enable him to kill a lion. Cecil was then allegedly lured out of the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe which he had resided on for nearly thirteen years, acting as a beloved lions for tourists to view and a crucial reseach animal for Oxford University's Wildife Conservation Research Unit. Of the 62 lions which were originally placed in this park, 24 have died at the hands of trophy hunters. And of the male lions who lived in the park, 72% were killed by trophy hunters on areas close to or around the park's borders. Trophy hunting is nothing new to the country of  Zimbabwe  which sees an average of 42 lion carcasses exported on the basis of trophy hunting per year, reaching a maximum number of 49 in 2013. Accoding to reports, Cecil was shot and wounded with a bow and arrow and not officially marked deceased until 40 HOURS later when he was shot with a rifle. This majestic lion roamed the area wounded, tired, and in fear for nearly 2 days duration. He was skinned, his head was removed as a trophy, and when park officials discovered his carcass later on, they noticed Cecil's tracking collar was removed so that authorities were not notified when he left the park's boundaries. While this happenstance created a lot of discussion around the world and led to many positive actions such as airlines refusing to transport trophy hunters, people do not realize that unnamed and unknown lions fall victim to these hunts non-stop. Their deaths need to be treated with as much outrage and demand for change as Cecil's did. 

​

​

• For more information regarding trophy hunting and its effects throughout the globe: idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/hunting/

• To learn more about the Campaign Against Canned Hunting and their specific work with the March for Lions: cannedlion.org/our-story.html

• 2015 Documentary Film that blows the lid off misleading claims made by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa: https://bloodlions.org/

• If you do not have the financial means to donate to an anti-trophy hunting campagin right now, there are still lots of ways you can get involved and voice your opinion! There has been a highly significant increase in petitions regarding trophy hunting trying to be passed in several countries/areas. Keep an eye out for ongoing campaigns as I continue to update my website with the most recent and relevant ways to join the fight in ending trophy hunting across the globe.