Beloved Cecil.

I have resisted to write anything about Cecil. I knew I would not write anything civilized at this point.

Cecil was protected in lands dedicated to that purpose. He would not have wandered that far away if he wasn't enticed to do so. Where do I begin. Besides being protected, he is legendary which is why the lousy bastard wanted him as a trophy. The ? hunter ? has to be one of the most narcissistic people in the world. 

IUCN Status: VU (vulnerable) (African) Critically Endangered (Asian) (click here)

Male lions are prized for their manes. Supposedly, the darker the mane the more POTENT the lion. Is this getting the message through? How completely hideous it was to kill this lion?

The hideousness of this kill is what has every enraged. 

7 March 2012
By ALERT

...Currently, (click here) wild populations of modern lions (Panthera leo) reside only in Africa and Asia, in which these two subspecies (P. l. leo and P.l. persica, respectively) are becoming increasingly endangered; subsequently being listed as ‘vulnerable’ and ‘endangered’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list [3-4].  Although it should be noted that up to 24 subspecies classifications for lions have been identified these were based solely on geographical and morphological aspects, e.g. mane size, body size, mass, skull size, colour etc. [5]....

The stories about male lions and their manes is such a strong statement there have been professional mammalogists that have formulated research to understand it as a fact or a myth. It matters when realizing the species is endangered. The habits of the species is important to help insure survival. If there are nothing but blond males does that mean there will be less offspring?

...To test whether the mane (click here) is an indicator of male quality, we used life-sized toy lions with contrasting manes that were generously donated by Anna Club Plush toys of Holland and manufactured according to measurements and hair samples from Serengeti lions. After finding a group of real lions, we set out two models with manes that differed in either mane length or in mane color. We then attracted the lions’ attention by broadcasting the sounds of hyenas at a kill (a dinner bell for lions) and watched to see which model the real lions chose to approach. The results were startlingly clear: male lions approached shorter and lighter manes, apparently finding them less intimidating. In contrast, females were indifferent to mane length, but they found darker manes much more attractive than blonds....

These animals are loved. They are loved by those that conduct research to insure their survival. They are loved by people all over the world that want their survival insured. And they are loved by the country by the country where they live and the tourism they bring to the people.

Zimbabwe's government is not going to let this hideous man get away with killing a precious senior aged lion. 

July 28, 2015
By Don Melvin

An American man (click here) is being sought in connection with a case that has drawn international attention -- the killing of Cecil the lion -- Zimbabwean officials said Tuesday.

The man suspected in Cecil's death is Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, according to Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

Cecil, who was 13, was a prized lion in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, where visitors reportedly sighted him frequently. A video of the animal, regal, indifferent and sleepy-eyed, has been widely disseminated.

He was a participant in a study that Oxford University in Britain was conducting, and he had been outfitted with a GPS collar.

A police official in Zimbabwe said that two Zimbabweans had been arrested in the case and that police were looking for Palmer.... 

Cecil was well studied and understood and I have no doubt he has many younger lions roaming the land in Zimbabwe that are his offspring. Those lions are precious because they belonged to Cecil.

I am sure Cecil's pelt and head will be confiscated from the killer and put in esteem in Zimbabwe. In that is the knowledge his genetic keys will be understood forever. If ever the lions of Zimbabwe are diluted and failing their numbers perhaps animal geneticists can introduce Cecil's genes. At least that is the dream. 

To all those that loved Cecil, this is a difficult time. I am sorry an American has been such a horrible man. This type of hunting is really disdained in the USA. These people are primarily wealthy and have time on their hands. They don't use their time productively rather than self-fulfilling egos.

Cecil has youngsters in Zimbabwe and those should be the focus of affection now. They need those that loved Cecil to protect them too, especially from such horrible deaths resulting in trophies.

I apologize as an American for the pain of loss of Cecil. I will miss him, too.