This story is almost too tragic to be real. Xanda, the lion, son of Cecil the Lion, has been killed by a trophy hunter.


For those that don’t remember, Cecil was an African lion killed two years ago in a particularly disturbing way — though, all trophy hunting is, by default, sick. He was lured off his safe, protected area — African lions are endangered — onto private land where he was shot with a bow and arrow. He ran for his life, horribly wounded, for almost 40 hours before he was shot and gunned down by an American man who wanted his head for whomever it is and whatever is it that trophy hunters collect heads to satisfy…

The world took notice of this horrific crime … but Xanda’s murder proves that little has changed in the world of trophy hunting.

It might be a bit unfair to say little has changed because, certainly, people were working hard before Cecil and others even more so after. But it’s particularly difficult to process that only two years later, Cecil’s oldest cub, who was only six, suffered such a similar fate.

The Times reports, “The lion, called Xanda, was shot outside the Hwange national park in Zimbabwe by a trophy hunter who was on safari with a licensed professional guide. It is illegal to hunt inside the park but the animals are free to roam into the adjoining reserves, where tourists travel from all over the world for the chance to shoot wild animals, including leopards, elephants, and hippos.” Xanda’s fate was uncovered only through a radio collar that he’d been outfitted with.


It’s so important that, as a society, we speak out against trophy hunting. Too many cultures around the world have apathetic attitudes to trophy hunting… thus why it still happens in so many places. It’s up to us to build a culture that shames and punishes folks who participate in this bloody “sport.” Learn how you can help fight trophy hunting and please sign the petition to ban trophy hunting, for Xanda and all the others, and let your voice be heard, because, at the end of the day, these beautiful animals can’t speak up for themselves.



Lead image source: YouTube

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