The cost to kill a lioness can be up to $9,500 in South Africa, whereas a lion can set a hunter back $23,000, $30,000 for a white lion or $35,000 for a black mane lion, similar to Cecil. It's unclear what Walter Palmer's $55,000 payment may have included.According to the Global White Lion Protection Trust, there are hundreds of white lions in captivity, but less than 13 in the wild. And there are no laws to stop them being hunted.Although lions are not listed as endangered, it's claimed by certain wildlife activists that their numbers are in serious decline in West Africa.