File picture of Cecil the lion who was killed by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe in 2015.
Two years after the killing of Cecil the lion, one of it’s cubs named Xanda was shot dead by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe on Thursday, reported The Telegraph. Xanda, who was over six years old, was killed just outside the Hwange National Park where his majestic father was killed. His death was discovered reportedly because of the electronic collar that was fitted on Xanda’s neck by researchers for monitoring his movements in the area.The collar was fixed by the Department of Zoology at Oxford University to monitor the lions in The Hwange National Park.
“I fitted it last October. It was monitored almost daily and we were aware that Xanda and his pride was spending a lot of time out of the park in the last six months, but there is not much we can do about that,” Andrew Loveridge of the Department of Zoology was quoted saying by the newspaper.
Richard Cooke, a professional hunter, is reported to have organised the shoot even though he has not yet revealed the names of his clients who mostly tend to be foreign citizens. According to the newspaper, the client may have paid about £40 000 for the shoot as well as for Xanda’s head to be cured, mounted and sent to the person.
The killing of Cecil in 2015 had sparked international outrage after dentist Walter Palmer shot the lion while legally hunting in Hwange National Park. Palmer was paid allegedly $65,000 to shoot and kill the lion who was tracked by researchers and conservationists with a bow and arrow. Walter was later forced to abandon his practice for weeks amid outcry over his actions. Cecil’s death also made conservation groups in Zimbave angry mainly because Cecil was human-friendly and was known to enjoy human contact.