Dentist Pays $50,000 to Kill Cecil the African Lion, Sparks Internet Outrage

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For now, the wildlife trade is alive and well, as proven by the recent report from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Wildlife Conservation Society on the ivory and wildlife trade on Craigslist.

In response to Cecil the Lion’s death, Jeff Flocken, North American regional director for IFAW, issued the following statement:

“We are extremely saddened by the news of Cecil the Lion being illegally killed for sport—not only from an animal welfare perspective, but also for conservation reasons.  African lion populations have declined sharply, dropping nearly 60 percent in the last three decades. With as few as 32,000 African lions remaining in the wild, individuals matter for conserving the species.

Even worse, the killing of a dominant male in a pride, like Cecil, can have a ripple effect and result in the deaths of other males, young cubs and females in that pride. And as troubling as it is, the rarer these trophy hunted animals become, the more hunters are willing to pay to kill them—like the American hunter, who recently paid $350,000 to kill a critically endangered black rhino in Namibia.  

Actions, like these, are quickly pushing imperiled species toward extinction. So long as a value continues to be placed on these animals, where they are worth more dead than alive, the future of majestic creatures like elephants, lions, tigers and rhinos will remain in grave jeopardy.”

It’s not just conservation groups that are up in arms, though. The lion’s death has sparked widespread outrage around the world. By early this morning, more than 210,000 people had signed an online petition demanding “justice” for Cecil. “The petition called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to stop issuing hunting permits to kill endangered animals,” reports CNN. Several celebrities including Sharon Osbourne, Debra Messing, Ricky Martin, Olivia Wilde and Ricky Gervais took to twitter to express their complete outrage:  

#WalterPalmer is Satan. I don’t know how anyone could go to this man for dental services after this. He is a killer. Beware! — Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) July 28, 2015

Ohh the dentist “had no idea” the lion was famous. Because had he known, he would never have murdered it without asking for a selfie first.

— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) July 28, 2015

This asshole. Why would anyone want to kill a lion for fun? What is wrong with people?

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 28, 2015

#JusticeForCecilTheLion NOW. — Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) July 28, 2015

This is heartbreaking in every possible way. What a loss. Trophy hunting is SHAMEFUL and disgusting. #CecilTheLion https://t.co/hnzcFJnCK0 — Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) July 29, 2015

Used to hate my dentist for yelling at me about my night guard but at least she didn’t kill #CecilTheLion

— Jerry O’Connell (@MrJerryOC) July 28, 2015