Cecil The Lion’s Cub, Xanda, Killed By Trophy Hunter In Zimbabwe

Xanda, the son and one of several cub descendants of Cecil the Lion, was killed by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe on July 7. His father was killed in the same manner in 2015 in an incident that sparked global outrage.

Xanda was killed a couple of miles outside of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, where it is legal to hunt lions above the age of six – Xanda was exactly six-years-old. The lions are only protected when in the park where they primarily live. The Kalahari lion was wearing a GPS collar, similar to the one worn by his father, when he was killed.

The GPS collar was used by a group of Oxford scientists who track several Kalahari lions in the area – the lion is a subspecies native to the Savanna region in southern Africa.

“Xanda was one of these gorgeous Kalahari lions, with a big mane, a big body, beautiful condition – a very, very lovely animal,” Dr. Andrew Loveridge, a Senior Research Fellow with Oxford’s Department of Zoology told NPR.

The scientists who study Xanda’s pride are calling for an extension on the area of protection for the lions, citing the fact that the lions frequently range outside of the park.

The hunter, who is unknown at the time, found that the lion was wearing a collar and brought it back to the scientists, according to The Telegraph. The hunter was out on an excursion with a group of other hunters.

The most recent killing has again sparked global outrage and reenergized the call to ban trophy hunting.

In 2015, Cecil the Lion was shot by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, who claims he was given the greenlight to shoot the animal by his professional hunting guide. Had he known of Cecil’s local celebrity status, he would not have shot.

Currently, there are estimated to be less 30,000 lions remaining in Africa.