Cecil the Lion’s Son, Xanda, Shot and Killed by Trophy Hunter Because Humans Are the Worst
If your Friday was going well until this moment, I apologize in advance. Just two years after Cecil the Lion was shot dead by trophy hunters in Zimbabwe, his son, Xanda, has been killed in the same exact way.
According to The Telegraph, the six-year-old was found dead wearing an electric collar that was reportedly part of Oxford University research — which allowed the poachers to track his movements. In a statement on Facebook Thursday, Hwange National Park wrote, "We can't believe that now, two 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?"
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The same Facebook post states that the person who followed through with the killing was part of a trophy hunt led by Richard Cooke, "a Zimbabwean hunter whose clients pay tens of thousands to kill exotic and dwindling animals for fun." Yet according to Andrew Loveridge, a scientist involved with the research, "Richard Cooke is one of the 'good' guys.' He is ethical and he returned the collar and communicated what had happened. His hunt was legal and Xanda was over six-years-old, so it is all within the stipulated regulations."
In 2014, it was Dr. Walter Palmer who committed the crime against Cecil, a dentist who was paid $50,000 to hunt the famous lion; the lion was 12-years-old. Xanda leaves behind several young cubs.
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