#CecilTheLion - Lion Killer Met with Social Media Outrage

bearder.eu

In one of the most upsetting news stories in recent memory, a wealthy dentist from Minnesota has become the target of almost global fury after hunting down and killing (read: murdering) Cecil, a beloved, and protected, Zimbabwean lion. With the aid of two locals, the lion was lured out of his territory in Hwange National Park, after which the dentist, named Walter Palmer, shot him with a bow. They then tracked the wounded animal for more than 40 hours before finding him, at which point Palmer finished the job with a rifle. The carcass was then beheaded, skinned and left where it lay. It was later discovered by researchers tracking the collar that Cecil had been fitted with by Oxford University to keep updated on his movements.

May you roar in peace #CecilTheLion. pic.twitter.com/TWEwEtmu8W

— Chez Santander (@chezsantander) July 29, 2015

Hunting and killing a lion from a national park, even if it was killed outside of park boundaries, is still grossly illegal, but whilst Palmer's local guides are both standing trial, Palmer himself is back in America. That's not to say he's in any kind of safe position though. Since the story broke, a social media fire storm has swirled up, condemning Palmer, demanding that he face punishment for killing Cecil and appealing to the Zimbabwean government to impose more stringent laws against hunting protected species.

Angry about tragic, senseless death of #CecilTheLion too? Support groups like @WildAid working to conserve species http://t.co/y0nppfipuZ

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 29, 2015

Palmer is still claiming that he was under the impression that the hunt was legal and that all the correct permits were in place, but the fact that he and the others attempted to destroy the tracking collar doesn't exactly paint a picture of innocence. Palmer has now also said that he regrets his actions, and has remained 'in hiding' since the news was reported, as well as closing down his dental practice. Some of the online behaviour has crossed the line into genuine threat, it's unlikely anyone will actually follow through on it, but Palmer's caution is probably warranted. Many well known figures have also spoken out against his actions, including Jimmy Kimmel, who was actually moved to tears when he spoke about the story on his show.

What difference does it make if the lion was famous or not? Trophy hunting is a very sick pastime. #CecilTheLion https://t.co/wIExHQeMR9

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) July 29, 2015

The incident is the latest in a long line of social media assaults on hunters. Palmer has been on the receiving end before, he was fined and put on probation after illegally killing a black bear outside the permitted hunting zone in Wisconsin in 2006 and attempting to stage it to look like he'd killed it elsewhere. Most of the time though, sadly, the hunters who do the rounds online did their killing in a perfectly legal context, having forked out massive sums of money to go on hunting excursions in Africa and Asia. Palmer himself forked out $55,000 for the chance to hunt a lion.

There were 100k African lions in wild in 2000. 25k today. Meanwhile, numbers of dentists have continued to rise #CecilTheLion

— Joe O'Shea (@josefoshea) July 29, 2015

The one positive we can pull from this grotesque scenario is that social media is allowing more and more pressure to mount against this ghastly practise. Poaching is policed at varying levels throughout the world but grey areas can be, and often are, exploited. In many cases the hunters who are criticised simply 'play the victim' and bemoan the verbal abuse they receive at the hands of critics. Direct vocal criticism rarely convinces anyone to stop doing anything immoral, but if the demand for poaching and game hunting reform increases as a result, things might start to take longer strides in that direction.

RIP #CecilTheLion I'm struggling to imagine anything more beautiful than this pic.twitter.com/lile3Kb2dk

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 28, 2015

It's just as well. As many have pointed out, there is absolutely nothing to be gained from hunting lions or any other animal whose meat has neither demand nor value. The people who do this have absolutely no bearing on how much damage they're doing and even if the local natural order can withstand the loss, it's a despicable, needless waste of life. The $55,000 would have been far better spent on some kind of psychotherapy, since I can't imagine any kind of mind that takes pleasure from killing a beautiful lion being 100% stable. I don't know what you were trying to prove, Mr. Palmer, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Callum Davies

Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF

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