What Makes Them Do It? Cecil The Lion From Zimbabwe's

[ladybirder]

National Park has been deliberately shot at with a bow and arrow and hours later when that hadn't killed him he was shot and killed by an American dentist. The killing itself is bad enough but the repercussions for Cecil's offspring are dire.
http://news.sky.com/story/1526549/us-dentist-paid-50k-to-behead-famous-lion

[Tilly2]

Americans and their guns, eh? Big shot moron!

[delboy3]

Someone should do the same to the dentist - no anaesthetic.

[chaptazbru2]

Cruel oaf !

[rockyracoon]

I fluffin hat these people!

[Tilly2]

I hope he loses all his clients but I don't think that that will happen, somehow.

I am spitting feathers about this. What a waste of a beautiful creature and its cubs.

UUUUUUUUUrgh!

[Mamyalynne]

Have to see what they come out with in court.

Tragic.

[rsvp]

This is close to home for me - used to live there - it's supposed (and quite likely to be true) that a parks board official was bribed - this suggests - but doesn't prove - that the white hunter involved with the client was in cahoots. Most white hunters are very ethical but you always get the exception. Following Cecil's very sad demise with interest.

[ladybirder]

The very least he could have done was make it a clean kill the ***. But No, he had to show off using a bow and arrow which didn't kill the poor thing and it suffered for all that time until he found it and shot it, then decapitated it, then skinned it and on and on. I've never met him but I hate him and his sort.

[ladybirder]

Yes, rsvp, money changed hands. Lots of it. It was all set up for him and the animal was lured from the safety of the park.
What does this idiot get out of it? There's no skill involved, I don't get it!

[chaptazbru2]

He's a coward pure and simple, all hunters are. Animals don't have guns or crossbows or any other weapons, easy targets for morons like this. Makes me sick !!!

[rsvp]

It seems there was a considerable time lapse from the crossbow hit to the follow up kill. First rule is to kill the animal cleanly - it is also well known that when hunters are faced with the actual target, especially for the first time, they can freeze, wobble and make a complete hash of things which is why the white hunter is there to back things up and should follow through (and a mature African lion is unbelieveably scarey face to face). Please don't get the idea I'm pro hunting btw - I just have family connections with Africa and the safari scene.

[ladybirder]

This guy is a so-called 'Professional' hunter rsvp.

[rsvp]

Precisely my point Ladybirder - most white hunters are very professional and ethical - this episode is almost like hunting 'canned lions' . Cecil was baited - he's 13/14 so maybe finding hunting alone difficult - shocking thing to have happened. Wonder if the WH also bought his licence!

[jno]

bow and arrow, Tilly. So it seems he died slowly.

[ladybirder]

rsvp can you explain your last sentence please.
Do you know the lifespan of a lion in a National Park.

[ladybirder]

^ ?

[-Talbot-]

I'm all for hunters killing lions...if they do it with their bare hands.

[rsvp]

As there is a suspicion (as yet unproven but likely) of bribes, and as white hunters are licenced I wonder if the white hunter responsible for organising the client maybe got his licence through the back door. I have no basis for this though. As for the lifespan in the wild, imo Cecil was an elder statesman and no longer within a pride, therefore without his ladies to do the shopping for him. Made him an easy target for baiting. I have nothing to substantiate this though, just very much my opinion.

[ladybirder]

My understanding is that there are two prides and Cecil was the head of one and now he's dead the head of the other pride will take over both and kill Cecil's offspring. That is why I said in my OP that things look dire (for the pride).

[rsvp]

Didn't know that Ladybirder - Cecil has done really well then to hang onto his position as pride leader. ~Certainly a male or males will take over Cecil's pride and kill any cubs - whether or not it be young nomadic males or the neighbouring male depends to be seen.