Lion killed by trophy hunters echoes Cecil tragedy

Blondie the lion (c) @SearchingForSpots

The male lion, named Blondie, was reportedly lured out of the Hwange National Park in which he was protected, so he could be targeted by the hunter. He was by all accounts a collared lion, part of ongoing research by Oxford University into lion populations in the area. He was a pride leader, and was also reportedly less than 6 years old, the minimum age that Zimbabwe stipulates for the hunting of male lions.

Responding to the news, Born Free’s Head of Policy Dr Mark Jones said: “I am shocked and saddened that yet another magnificent male lion has been brutally and callously slaughtered by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe, in circumstances that are all too similar to those which led to the demise of Cecil the lion a decade ago.

“It seems that little has been learned since Cecil’s death, with cynical hunting operators prepared to break national rules to satisfy the bloodlust of their clients and add to their coffers. The very fact that they lure lions out of national parks suggests that there are no lions remaining in the hunting areas for them to hunt, reflecting the massive damage to lion populations that trophy hunting is doing. This irresponsible activity has no place in the modern world, when wildlife needs all the help it can get just to survive. Trophy hunting must be consigned to history.”

Blondie is said to have led a pride of three females and ten cubs, whose futures are now in serious doubt.

Born Free is campaigning for an end to trophy hunting, starting with bans on trophy imports to the UK and other countries from which trophy hunters emanate. The UK Labour government has committed to ban trophy imports, but has thus far failed to introduce the necessary legislation.

Since the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, more than 5,000 trophies from lions have been imported by countries across the world, around 100 of which have been imported to the UK.

For more information on Born Free’s campaign against trophy hunting, see our trophy hunting web page.