Conservationists condemn American dentist over brutal killing of Zimbabwean lion

Conservationists in Zimbabwe have sharply criticized the killing of one of Zimbabwe's oldest and best known lion by an American dentist on trophy hunting early this month.

They said the poaching of 13-year old Cecil the lion, with its iconic black mane symbolizing power and strength, was a major drawback to Zimbabwe's conservation and safari industry in particular. Many foreign tourists came to Hwange, home to around 350 African lions, to be amazed by roaming black-maned male lions like Cecil.

The lion, now at an advance age as life expectancy of wild lions averages 14 years, caused an international outcry partly because it was collared as part of a decade-old study by Oxford University to exam the impact of trophy hunting on ecology and better understand the human-animal conflicts.

American dentist Walter James Palmer was identified as the suspect who killed Cecil with a gun shot with the assistance of two Zimbabweans - a professional hunter and a private farm owner - after they lured the lion out of wildlife-rich Hwange National Park on July 1 this year.

The two men appeared in court Wednesday facing poaching charges and the professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst was given 1,000 U.S. dollars bail.

The two face lengthy jail terms if convicted.

Palmer has admitted to killing the iconic lion but claims he was unaware the lion was protected.

The Zimbabwean authorities admitted that Palmer and his local guides had secured trophy hunting permits but they did not have the quota for lions on their permits this year.

Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce, a non profit organization focusing on the conservation and preservation of wildlife in Zimbabwe said the government should immediately ban trophy hunting of all endangered species.

"There should be a moratorium and ban on the hunting of all endangered animals.

"Government has to put a stop to it because at the end of the day we will have no lion population in Zimbabwe," he said.

President of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ) Emannuel Fundira said the killing of the popular lion would negatively impact on safari hunting revenues and affect the livelihoods of about 800,000 families in Zimbabwe that directly depend on wildlife exploitation.

"We did not expect our photographic safari industry was going to be affected in this manner," Fundira said.

The killing of Cecil the lion comes at a time when Zimbabwe's safari hunting industry is reeling from a U.S. ban on sport hunted elephant trophies imposed in April 2014.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Services imposed the ban on sport hunted elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Tanzania citing poor management system after more than 100 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park in 2014.

According to SOAZ, the U.S. is a lucrative market for Zimbabwe's 100 million dollars safari hunting industry.

According to SOAZ, Zimbabwe received 65 million dollars revenue from safari hunting in 2013 and earnings were estimated to have declined by 30 percent in 2014 due to the ban.

Tom Milliken, an official with wildlife trade monitoring network, Traffic, said the poaching of Cecil the lion puts under the spotlight the adherence to ethics in Zimbabwe's sport hunting industry.

"I just wish the industry were playing a more aggressive role in trying to protect their industry and ensuing highest ethical standards," Milliken said.

"If it turns out that the lion was illegally hunted, it will likely precipitate a reaction against the sport hunting industry.

"The U.S. has already closed elephant trophy hunting from Zimbabwe and I think that it's quite possible to see a similar reaction so the best way to safeguard sport hunting is to ensure greatest integrity and ensure you play by the rules," Milliken said.

According to a recent report done by the Zimbabwe National Parks in partnership with various conservation organizations, Zimbabwe's lion population is estimated to be around 1,000. Endit