Another Iconic Lion Killed By American Hunter
Another iconic male lion was killed by an American trophy hunter using a bow and arrow in the giant Hwange National Park, sparking global outrage.
The lion, named Mopane, was killed last week outside the protected area of Hwange National Park, causing outrage and triggering memories of Cecil the lion that was killed in 2015 in the same area.
The lion, believed to be 12 years old, was reportedly lured out of the park using bait into nearby land before he was killed. Cecil had been lured out of the park using an elephant carcass.
According to the US Humane Society, Mopane had had a partnership with another male lion, Sidhule. They formed a pride with two female adult lions and six younger lions around 16-18 months old.
Sidhule was killed by trophy hunters in 2019. Humane Society CEO Kitty Block said in a statement:
As with Cecil six years ago, the perverse pleasure some people derive from killing iconic animals brought this noble lion’s life to a tragic end.
Another trophy hunter spending tens of thousands of dollars on a globe-trotting thrill-to-kill escapade shows humanity at its worst. It is shameful that the US has the distinction of being the world’s biggest importer of hunting trophies. Enough is enough.
Over 750 lion trophies were traded on the international market, including in the US and the European Union between 2009 and 2018.
Following the killing of Cecil, Globally renowned comedian, Trevor Noah, criticised trophy hunting observing that hunters usually target the biggest, most magnificent species which is bad for the health of the species because genes may no longer be passed onto future generations.
Noah argued that killing the biggest or strongest specimens weakens the genes of the entire population.
More: NewZimbabwe