Cecil the Lion’s son, ‘Xanda’ killed by trophy hunter in Zimbabwe

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Just two years after Cecil the Lion was killed by a big game trophy hunter from the United States, one of the lion’s cubs was shot dead in Zimbabwe a few days ago. The six-year-old lion named Xanda, who had been in the prime of his life, was shot and killed under similar circumstances as his father on the outskirts of Hwange National Park.

According to the Telegraph, Xanda’s death was discovered after his electronic collar monitoring the cat’s moves alerted Andrew Loveridge from the Department of Zoology at Oxford University. The Zimbabwean hunter who arranged the hunt, Richard Cooke, from RC Safaris, found the collar on the lion and turned it over to the researchers. Cooke has not announced the name of his client, however most lion hunters are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany or South Africa.

“I fitted it last October,” stated Loveridge. It was monitored almost daily, and we were aware  that Xanda and his pride were spending a lot of time out of the park in the last six months, but there is not much we can do about that.”

According to authorities, the hunt was legal since Xanda was over six-years of age, and he was out of the protection of the park. It is hoped there will soon be a three-mile exclusion zone around the Hwange National Park, so that hunters would no longer accidentally shoot collared lions when they roam outside of the park. On the Facebook page of Lions of Hwange National Park came the devastating post about Xanda’s death:

“Today we heard that a few days ago, Xanda, the son of #CecilTheLionhas been shot on a trophy hunt by Zimbabwe PH Richard Cooke. Cooke also killed Xanda’s brother in 2015, he was only about 4 years old then. Xanda is still a young father at 6.2 years old and has several young cubs. We can’t believe that now, 2 years since Cecil was killed, that his oldest Cub #Xanda has met the same fate.

When will the Lions of Hwange National Park be left to live out their years as wild born free lions should…?”

At the time Cecil the Lion was killed, he had wandered close to the boundary when Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer paid $65,000 to shoot and kill the lion with a bow and arrow. Social media erupted when news of the beloved lion’s death was announced, and Palmer hid for weeks – including temporarily having to suspend his dental practice.

Cecil and his pure magnificent stature brought smiles and admiration from across the world. The 13-year-old lion did not die immediately that awful night he was shot, and suffered for hours until he was tracked down and killed the next day. Palmer was originally charged for illegally hunting the lion, however charges were later dropped.

Rest in peace Xanda. Why does man have to hunt for fun? Didn’t Xanda have the right to live his life too? Tell us what you think.

Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook.

(Photos of Xanda screenshot by Picasa and Facebook Lions of Hwange National Park)


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15 COMMENTS

  1. Disgusting! I would like to take this POS’s head and mount it as a trophy. RIP Xanda, now you can be with your dad, Cecil.

  2. I don’t think these bastards should have the right to trophy hunt lions AT ALL. However, if it takes a 3 mile boundary outside of the park to help, so be it. That wouldn’t have helped Cecil, who was lured outside of the park by those scumbags just so the coward Palmer could kill him.

  3. I do NOT approve of hunting for sport. It’s not a sport to me,. It’s stalking an animal and killing it so the hunter can flaunt their prize and stoke their pathetic ego..
    RIP Xanda. No one can hunt and kill you anymore.

  4. Trophy hunting of ANY animal should be outlawed immediately. If they have to hunt, make it with a camera ONLY. How can we see animals in the wild if these idiots have killed them all for their ego boost. Not much of a human if your only thrill is MURDER.

  5. Tables should be turned for half a day and the hunter become the hunted and see what could happen trying to survive each day.

  6. When are these cruel senseless ridiculous “hunts ” going to stop! Cecil was tortured! I hope that gave his ego a boost! Sickening!

  7. Trophy hunters should be declared international criminals and imprisoned for life and that is my kindest suggestion for their punishment!

  8. People who trophy hunt are worth less than SHIT!!!!! These heartless bastards who get off killing whatever it is they feel like. Should be taken out, stuck on an island and told. ” Listen up you assholes. Now you get to hunt sacks of shit like yourselves. What you hunt will be people who are like you and murder innocent animals. Last one alive .. gets to live. The rest of you FUCKS .. get to DIE!!!! See if it’s as fun to hunt something that will shoot back.”

  9. WHY WILL ANYONE MURDERER ANIMALS !!! ITS SO HORRIBELT !!! ITS SO SICK !! TROPHY HUNTER WILL NOT BE ALLOW AT ALL !!! GIVE THE LION Ä GUN TOO !!! OR TAKE PHOTO INSTED ???????????????????????? MUST BE STOPPED RIGHT NOW !!!! WHY CANT HUNTER HUNT EIGHTOTHER INSTAD ??????

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