Cecil of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park fame was lured out of her lair then beheaded for 50,000 Euro Bounty. A tourist that arrived from Spain allegedly bribed one of the park's rangers to do the killing, CNN reported.
It appeared that 'Cecil' was lured by using a freshly killed animal as bait. She was then first shot using a bow and arrow. A rifle was used to end the wounded animal's life.
The method of luring an animal through bait was a tactic slyly used by hunters as an excuse to "legally" kill lions.
Cecil's rose to fame as she was always featured on Wild Life videos on YouTube that particularly covered the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Africa.
A statement from The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association admits the involvement of one of its members. They are also steadfast on investigating about the incident. However they insist that the safari area was a private one which makes the killing legitimate. The government on the other hand counters this statement as reiterates that the lioness thrives on the reserves therefore protected by law.
The lioness was part of Oxford University's research project on the impact of sports hunting towards lions in the safari habitat around the national park. The research yielded that out of 62 lions, 34 died during the period of the study. Sport hunters shot 24 of those who died. These facts came from a report published by The Guardian.
Spain was among the European countries where 'Trophy Hunting' have been practiced throughout the past centuries. Spain's late King Juan Carlos had faced criticism during his trip in Botswana for a similar incident of trophy hunting which allegedly cost US$ 50,000.
Let us take a look at some of the World's famous animals:
1. Heidi the cross-eyed North American opossum (Germany)
2. Xiang Xiang, panda (China)
3. Smoky, Yorkshire Terrier (England, United Kingdom)
4. Fido, street dog (Florence, Italy)
5. Hachiko, Akita (United States)
6. Paul, octopus (Germany)
7. Congo, chimpanzee (New Zealand)
8. Huberta, hippopotamus (South Africa)
9. George, tortoise (Pinta Island, Ecuador)
10. Cher Ami, pigeon (Allied Forces, World War II)