Cecil killed for Trophy.

[waterninja]

Just read a sad story about about a magnificant male lion named Cecil that was lured out of his sanctuary in Zimbabway. Cecil, 13 yrs. old, was a very famous lion and a symbol of Zimbabway. Apparantly someone paid 55,000.00 US to shoot him with a bow and arrow, then tracked him for 40 hrs. and finished him with a rifle. Lots of fallout from this killing which authorities are calling a tradgedy. He had a gps collar, and he was found skinned and decapitated.
If someone has the computer skills, perhaps they can post the story link. It was in the Huffington post.

[FishOutOfWater]

This one ?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...cecil-the-lion

Authorities in Zimbabwe are trying track down a Spaniard who allegedly paid park guides €50,000 (£35,000) for the chance to kill Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions, who was the star attraction at the Hwange national park. The creature was found skinned and headless on the outskirts of the park.

The 13-year-old lion was wearing a GPS collar as part of a research project that Oxford University has been running since 1999, making it possible to trace its last movements when it was tricked into leaving the park and shot with a bow and arrow. The hunters then tracked the dying animal for 40 hours before they killed it with a rifle.

Bait, in the form of a freshly killed animal, was used to tempt Cecil out of the park, a technique commonly used so that hunters can “legally” kill protected lions.

“Cecil’s death is a tragedy, not only because he was a symbol of Zimbabwe but because now we have to give up for dead his six cubs, as a new male won’t allow them to live so as to encourage Cecil’s three females to mate,” said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. “The two people who accompanied the hunter have been arrested but we haven’t yet tracked down the hunter, who is Spanish.”

The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association admitted that its members were involved and that the case was being investigated. It claims it was a private safari and therefore not illegal, but the government insists that the lion lived on the reserve and came under its protection.

The Oxford University study was 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.

Dr Andrew Loveridge, one of the principal researchers on the project, said that “hunting predators on the boundaries of national parks such as Hwange causes significant disturbance and knock-on effects” such as infanticide when new males enter the prides.

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Police are seeking the lion’s remains among the country’s taxidermists. The Spanish conservation organisation Chelui4lions has written to Cites de España, the body that oversees the import of endangered species, asking it to prevent the importing of Cecil’s head as a trophy.

“From 2007 to 2012 Spain was the country that imported the most lion trophies from South Africa. During this period it imported 450 heads, compared to 100 in Germany. Europe needs to ban these lion hunting trophies altogether,” said Luis Muñoz, a Chelui4lions spokesman.

“What hunter, what sort of demented person, would want to kill a magnificent adult lion, known to and photographed by all the park’s visitors?” Muñoz said. “We’re ashamed of the fact that in Spain there are rich madmen who pay for the pleasure of killing wild animals such as lions.”

Bryan Orford, a professional wildlife guide who has worked in Hwange and filmed Cecil many times, told National Geographic that the lion was the park’s “biggest tourist attraction”. Orford calculates that with tourists from just one nearby lodge collectively paying €8,000 per day, Zimbabwe would have brought in more in just five days by having Cecil’s photograph taken rather than being shot by someone paying a one-off fee of €50,000.

The incident, which occurred earlier this month and has only just come to light, has caused outrage in Zimbabwe, coming only days after the ZCTF revealed that 23 elephant calves had been separated from their herds in Hwange and exported to zoos in China and the United Arab Emirates. The Zimbabwean government insists the trade is legal and measures are in place to guarantee the animals’ wellbeing.

This article was amended on Sunday 26 July. An earlier version said Cecil had been wearing a GPS collar since 1999. It should have said that the GPS project has been running since 1999. A reference to elephant cubs has also been corrected to calves.

[Don K]

Lots of cats are hunted over bait. Almost all leopards...

Don't see an issue. What's the diference if you shoot a sheep or elk just outside the park boundary here? Same in my mind...

[huntinstuff]

It looks like he was killed legally.

Would I do it that way? No.

But that guy did.

[Torkdiesel]

The lion left Hwange park and was killed on one of the Matetsi hunting blocks. Baiting is the only way to effectively hunt these lions and if this lion was indeed 13 years old he didn't have Cubs like the story says. There are a ton of lions all over those areas and he would have been kicked out long before he reached this age.
Stories like this take away from how things actually work over there. Nobody will be charged, unless the hunting block didn't have a quota left for lion and the different blocks can share their quota with each other so not likely.

In my opinion somebody got one hell of a trophy.

The cross bow and 40 hour tracking job is likely bull**** to add drama for the antis.

[husky7mm]

Lots of bias in the way that article was written. The authors mind was made up before writing the article.

[CanuckShooter]

Guess they need a high fence to keep the lions in the park. Or to ban lion hunting on the outskirts of the parks.

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

Guess they need a high fence to keep the lions in the park. Or to ban lion hunting on the outskirts of the parks.

Kinda like a 5km buffer zone?

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

Guess they need a high fence to keep the lions in the park. Or to ban lion hunting on the outskirts of the parks.

Zimbabwe ? enough said.

Grizz

[kraftiest1]

Sounds like half the story is fabricated. Hunting a male lion in Matetsi is very expensive in the first place, and not sure I believe the 50,000 euro to the park guides bit. I wouldn't be surprised if he paid the outfitter that much. I've seen male lion hunts in Matetsi go for 55,000 US, all because they come out of Hwange. I was told by a Zimbabwean PH that the best area to find a full mane lion in Zim is Matetsi because the genetics are stronger in Hwange and Matetsi than the Chewore in the North and Gonarezhou in the south east.

There is a lot of negative press on lion hunting, and a lot of it contains misappropriation of said "facts." I'm sure this hunter paid his outfitter an honest and expensive rate for a "lion hunt of a lifetime" and it just so happened that Cecil was drawn out of the park by bait sites. Maybe there were some park "game managers" that assisted, which would not be surprising due to the levels of corruption in Zim.

Like Tork said, sounds like anti fuel to me!

[Dewey Cox]

That's why you don't name wild animals.
People get a lot more upset when you shoot something with a name.

[drake]

classic WN post....sometimes i wonder if he is with us or against us.

[C Taylor]

I'd be pretty choked if I paid $55000.00 for a full maned lion an got one that the mane was buggered up from a collar. I think this story has about as much truth to it as the pics floating around Facebook of a road killed doe an fawn being shot by hunters.

[huntingd]

Nice lion. Good for him.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by drake

classic WN post....sometimes i wonder if he is with us or against us.

??????? Thats a cheap shot. All I had to go on is the article (a little different from the one posted) and I have no idea how things are done in Africa. After reading member comments I see that this is probably a normal hunting practise, and article is probably biased.
One thing that was clearly stated in the report I read is that the lion was protected as he was part of the game parks pride.
Dont shoot the messenger Drake. I'm as far from an anti as you can get. From the article it just didn't seem sporting or legal.

[Okotokian]

I think the real issue is that guides got the $55,000, not government officials. That was the sin.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by waterninja

??????? Thats a cheap shot. All I had to go on is the article (a little different from the one posted) and I have no idea how things are done in Africa. After reading member comments I see that this is probably a normal hunting practise, and article is probably biased.
One thing that was clearly stated in the report I read is that the lion was protected as he was part of the game parks pride.
Dont shoot the messenger Drake. I'm as far from an anti as you can get. From the article it just didn't seem sporting or legal.

So you pick up a bomb and deliver it to my door....

Yah, I will shoot the messenger.

Smarten up or face the fire.



There is much to be revealed before accurate opinions can be formed on wether or not this event was legal or illegal. Either way, those desiring to end lion hunting and even hunting in general have been given a nuclear device....

[petew]

Here is another version , this one names an American Dentist.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...n-dentist.html

Must be true, I read it on the internet.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I think the real issue is that guides got the $55,000, not government officials. That was the sin.

3 of the 5 Matetsi blocks are managed by the Zim parks department. This may be where the confusion comes from about who got paid for the hunt. All permits in that area have to be purchased from the Zim parks department which is on the main road heading into Hwange park so they knew what and where they were hunting. There's also hunting inside the national park for non-trophy elephant so it's not a true national park anyway.
Almost all hunting there takes place along the boundaries of Hwange. We had lions on our Leopard baits after the first couple days and bumped into a couple different prides while following elephant, there are a ton of lion there.
The concession I hunted had a lion on quota as well but at $40,000 I was being pretty picky on what I would shoot. I never did see a mature lion that met my criteria.

[bat119]

If he shot with a bow wouldn't he be close enough to see the collar? or in Africa do you just turn them in after like we do bird bands?

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Kinda like a 5km buffer zone?

Something like that makes sense to me. If an animal is that far outside the park you can be more sure that they weren't specifically lured out. Or maybe don't ban hunting next to the park, just ban bait within a certain distance.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

So you pick up a bomb and deliver it to my door....

Yah, I will shoot the messenger.

Smarten up or face the fire.



There is much to be revealed before accurate opinions can be formed on wether or not this event was legal or illegal. Either way, those desiring to end lion hunting and even hunting in general have been given a nuclear device....

So your saying that I have personally threatened lion hunting, and hunting in general by posting something that is allready all over the net, but was not here on AO? Wasn't my intention at all, just thought it was an interesting story that members might want to have a discussion about. Sorry I ruined your day. Didn't realise I was so powerfull.
I honestly learned a few things from members that have actually been there done that.

[Torkdiesel]

Talked to a couple buddies over there. I guess the hunt took place on a property called "Antoinette Farm" which is in the Sikumbi forest reserve. It's about 100 Km's from where I hunted.

The word on the street is the property owner didn't have a lion permit for this year. The PH is a guy named Theo Blinghault (spelling ?) and is likely in a bit of hot water. Unfortunately the hunter likely didn't know a permit was not in place, I've seen that one played out first hand.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by waterninja

So your saying that I have personally threatened lion hunting, and hunting in general by posting something that is allready all over the net, but was not here on AO? Wasn't my intention at all, just thought it was an interesting story that members might want to have a discussion about. Sorry I ruined your day. Didn't know I was so powerfull.

No, your not powerful, just clueless.


Re-read your first sentence in the op.


What is sad is your propagating anti-hunting sentiment without even realizing what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with posting the article or opening a discussion on this event, but the way you were sucked right in to and copied the emotional nonsense is telling.


Your ignorance of the seriousness of mimicking contents within this propaganda further belies concern. The fight to maintain hunting in Africa has become a massive endeavour, and with mainstream media picking up this item based on distorted imagery and selective wordsmithing presented by those working towards ending hunting, the truth and facts are becoming irrelevant.


As facts on this lion's death are slowly being revealed, it appears to be an illegal kill, a Poaching event. Let's learn the truth, and treat it appropriately.

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

No, your not powerful, just clueless.


Re-read your first sentence in the op.


What is sad is your propagating anti-hunting sentiment without even realizing what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with posting the article or opening a discussion on this event, but the way you were sucked right in to and copied the emotional nonsense is telling.


Your ignorance of the seriousness of mimicking contents within this propaganda further belies concern. The fight to maintain hunting in Africa has become a massive endeavour, and with mainstream media picking up this item based on distorted imagery and selective wordsmithing presented by those working towards ending hunting, the truth and facts are becoming irrelevant.


As facts on this lion's death are slowly being revealed, it appears to be an illegal kill, a Poaching event. Let's learn the truth, and treat it appropriately.

Your personal attacks here are not warranted IMO. So the guy briefly describes the article and you feel the need to look down at him from your high horse ? This here will be the demise of our heritage far before anything the OP has done.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Something like that makes sense to me. If an animal is that far outside the park you can be more sure that they weren't specifically lured out. Or maybe don't ban hunting next to the park, just ban bait within a certain distance.

Ban, ban, ban. Enough with that word already.
There is no hunting in the park. That's it. If a Lion can be pulled out it's legal. End of discussion.
As hunters we need to be bloody careful with helping the anti's ban things. We may start at a 5k buffer but after a few years they will want a 10k, then a 20k. Where will it end?
Get that stupid word out of our community.

[st99]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

Ban, ban, ban. Enough with that word already.
There is no hunting in the park. That's it. If a Lion can be pulled out it's legal. End of discussion.
As hunters we need to be bloody careful with helping the anti's ban things. We may start at a 5k buffer but after a few years they will want a 10k, then a 20k. Where will it end?
Get that stupid word out of our community.

x2, plus buffer zone don't make sense, might as well just make the park bigger

[albertadave]

Originally Posted by st99

x2, plus buffer zone don't make sense, might as well just make the park bigger

Exactly. There's a reason that they draw those imaginary lines on the ground. Park on one side, not park on the other. Pretty simple.

[Kurt505]

Aren't all African hunts just trophy hunts? I don't see Cecil being any different than an elephant or giraffe. Why do people kill giraffes for crying out loud??

I hunt, so I'm not going to judge, but there are some things I just don't understand.

[catnthehat]

If the lion was lured out of the park by dragging a carcass out if the park that's one thing but if the bait was simply hung and they waited?
Outside the park, it's just another hunt IMO
Cat