Death of Zimbabwe’s Best-Loved Lion Ignites Debate on Sport Hunting

"Cecil's brother Jericho feared dead after Zimbabwean park claims lion has been shot by poachers leaving cubs exposed in the wild."

Call me what you like but I don't buy this one.
We heard of the Lions death on Tuesday 21 July 2015 when Vevew started this thread.
According to Daily mail J....lion was killed on Saturday afternoon 18 July 2015.

"Last week Mr Rodrigues, told the Daily Mail Online Jericho was keeping the cubs safe from any rival males.
When contacted on Saturday a woman who answered the phone said he was too devastated to speak."

Why do we only hear of this exactly a week later?
This is just another poor excuse for the antis to blow the Lion hunting out of proportion.
It was reported that the first Lion reclaimed his pride with the help of a younger Lion, why did no one ever say it was the first Lions brother that helped him reclaim his pride if they all knew he had a brother?
Now all of a sudden the "Younger brother" is also dead.
If they knew both Lions were dead, why did they not say so in the first place.
This story is so out of line, it's difficult to make out which side is front and which side is rear.

I don't buy this one.

And by the way, has anyone seen a picture of the first Lion with his collar around his neck. I have seen many different pictures of this Lion but not one shows the collar around his neck. Was this C.......lion ever collard and is the Lion that was shot C........

sestoppelman said:

Just read it again, so if its not true they are still running with it. And I have read twice that it was a hunter not a poacher that killed him. Lets hope its not true, if it is, its not going to be pretty.

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This source is reporting updated info. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/live-cecil-lions-brother-jericho-6178446

I think I'll take it with a grain of salt though for now.

I'm inclined to believe Martin.

sestoppelman said:

I wasn't clear on that part, but assuming it was poachers it will make no difference to the anti's as they see no difference. In fact the anti's would probably sympathize more with poachers than hunters, after all poachers are just trying to make a living and feed their families right? Hunters are just murderers of poor defenseless little Bambi's.

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Apparently, at least to CNN it doesn't matter.......

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/01/world/cecil-the-lion-brother-jericho-illegally-killed/index.html

"...gun-downed by a 'hunter' operating illegally....."

What do most people "in-the-know" call a "hunter operating illegally"? I'll give those who don't know a hint....the word starts with a P and ends with a R. The word-play here is flabbergasting.....

Right now, I'm not sure if was another hunter, or poachers, but if it was a poaching syndicate or poachers, the reporter from CNN needs to go back to college for the class Reporting 101. What ever happened to reporting facts. That's a rhetorical question by the way......

Of course, I don't think for a second that the reporter's terminology was a mistake, or unintentional. Anything to fuel the firestorm to promote an agenda whether it's true, or a lie. The reporting on this story has been down-right atrocious in some instances, especially from the UK news sources, but the US as well. These so-called reporters should be embarrassed at their level of stupidity if it was unintentional. Of course they keep reporting the story this way so I now they are not ashamed. It's just like anything else in the main-stream media these days. Spin the story to your advantage. Although I must say, the level of deceitfulness has risen to all time highs with this story.

The sad thing is the ignorant masses swallow it hook, line, and sinker. Like others have said, even if this bears out to be a big lie, and the lion was taken legally by Dr. Palmer, it will not matter. The damage will have been done, and the "anti's" will have gotten the effect they wanted. The "sheeple" will never even bother to look at this case objectively, if the facts to exonerate the doctor in the circumstances surrounding the taking of the lion prove to show he did it legally, because it takes too much effort to think, and once their opinion is formed they're too lazy to change it. Most people want to be spoon-fed information, and allow someone else to do the critical analysis for them. Of course there are many of those that are all too happy to oblige that desire, and fuel the flames of emotional fervor.

Hmm, fair enough. Good point!
I want the meat but don't want to kill. I totally see your point.
But how about the act of hunting for the sole purpose of getting a lion's head as an ornament? I see that as unnecessary killing. I'm not arguing it from the population management standpoint, but rather I'd like to understand the mindset of a hunter. Why would anyone pay thousands of dollars for that? It's not about the food, It's about an ornament.

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Wow, Now you are degrading a beautiful lion mount to an ornament....classy. You can eat the lion. We are preserving the memory of the hunt, a noble gesture for sure. The preservation ensures many people will be able to see the lion for future generations. The bones are used the Asian market for medicine I believe. Nothing goes to waste.

ThomasBeaham said:

This source is reporting updated info. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/live-cecil-lions-brother-jericho-6178446

I think I'll take it with a grain of salt though for now.

I'm inclined to believe Martin.

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Just saw this, and now it appears there are conflicting reports as to if Jericho was actually killed at all. Supposedly he is still being tracked by his GPS collar. I wonder if it turns out that he's actually alive and well, that CNN will offer an apology to it's readers and to hunters. I suspect it will simply fade quietly and quickly away......

Of course, I'm sure the anti hunters will have picked up on this and tweeted and messaged it out on social media all over the world. They may actually get people to riot in the streets this time.

I smell a false-flag operation in play here.....

Now when you say a hunter does not "enjoy" killing, you have my a bit puzzled. Is this not a forum dedicated to discussion and glorification of trophy hunting - hunting for the joy of it? Trophy hunting is by definition vain and for the purpose of the trophy!

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Dane Quale, you will never understand hunting either. You are another one of those anti's that just likes to stir things up. I'm not giving up on eating meat. You have, bravo, if your conscious bothers you....fine, but don't play mind games with us. I sick and tired of people says I don't mind the meat hunter but you no good sport or trophy hunters can go to hell....blah, blah, blah....get a life.

enysse said:

Dane Quale, you will never understand hunting either. You are another one of those anti's that just likes to stir things up. I'm not giving up on eating meat. You have, bravo, if your conscious bothers you....fine, but don't play mind games with us. I sick and tired of people says I don't mind the meat hunter but you no good sport or trophy hunters can go to hell....blah, blah, blah....get a life.

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+1 . . . with an exclamation mark!

The anti-s make their decision on emotion ONLY, a flawed thinking process that dismisses logic, science, genetics and history. There is NO reasoning with them. My ol' man told me a long time ago "Don't get in a wrestling match with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it".

What I take objection to is the claim that trophy hunters care about these animals in a way other than that they get to kill them and enjoy killing them too. And I argue that killing an animal to satisfy an ego is wrong and shouldn't be tolerated. If the animal can be saved for a hunt because of their value, they can be saved because of their value without a hunt having to take place. They aren't killed for their meat, their meat is a by-product of their death.

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Let's take the emotions out of Africa hunting, because according to the general public (all animals in Africa on the very of extinction). Let's talk about whitetail hunting in the USA or roe deer hunting in Europe. Are you say we should just be by-standers and let nature handle the situation? Because you are true idiot, if you think nature can manage itself anymore, maybe it can, but their will be a genocide, because animals will eat themselves into starvation or disease epidemic. Part of living, is getting your hands dirty...hardly anyone leaves this planet without leaving a mark.

The local paper here, which I actually liked, just reprinted an editorial piece. I decided to write back because the layers of prejudice are really astounding. Do the press of North America believe that they are morally superior to Africa? Do they not realize that the people/governments of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Burko Faso etc. etc. know something when they allow trophy hunting as a part of their wildlife management regimes? It makes me sick and I think it reflects a prejudice not just against hunters but also reflects an unspoken feeling of superiority over other regions.

In my humble opinion, Trophies are more a Tribute. A chance to educate those that wish to learn and not judge. If they feel uncomfortable they can leave.

Well said Jane!

Simply that the money (which came from hunters) is what has lead to conservation and increase in population, not the deaths of the animals for use as trophies. Everyone who spent money could have donated that money on the contingency that the animals not be slaughtered by farmers, be preserved, etc. Which would make hunting the animal for the trophy irrelevant if the motive were purely conservation. How it comes across to outsiders is that the motive is mostly the desire to kill an animal for the sake of killing an animal. The food and obligatory money are merely a way to defend an ulterior motive (conservation interests are there for the ability to be able to kill more animals again, predominantly for the sake of killing animals.)

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No reason to argue with you Dane, you are a genius. Please tell me all the wonderful things you anti-hunters do for wildlife conservation?

The distinction between hunting and trophy hunting is very important. Why don't the trophy hunters just donate the money and let someone else do the necessary population management? Because they want to be the one who pulls the trigger and kills the animal. And the hunter doesn't eat the lion or make clothes from it out of necessity; the end product is merely an ornament - a head hanging on a wall. This is the mindset that anti-trophy-hunters do not understand.

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Sure, it's just a moral/emotional issue.

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Vevew, Gee you think, why don't you anti-hunters put your money into wildlife conservation, instead of whining and complaining to us hunters. Put your money into what you believe in, stop the emotional drama crap, and do some real work for once. Stop talking and do some habitat work or something. Buy land conserve it, please, do something but stop trying to brain wash other people that all hunters are reason animals are facing extinction, because this is complete BS.

They have to keep the outrage machine going!

In social media comments, the vast majority of people just don't see the appeal in killing a lion for sport.
Trophy hunting will continue to be a very controversial topic simply because of the moral issue, even if it funds conservation. Trophy hunters really need to engage the public and explain why one would enjoy such act.

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As I said, even if trophy hunting funds conservation it's still considered morally bankrupt behavior by many.

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Not everyone misses Cecil. See image.

Turns out, Cecil the Lion was no choirboy. Photos have surfaced of Cecil in the act of killing and eating Gary the Gazelle. Gary was a favorite of both locals a...nd visitors at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, where he delighted onlookers with his trademark leap, while clicking his heels. Gary was 12 years old and leaves his beloved wife, Greta Gazelle, and their 8 (unnamed) offspring. Gary's long-time friend and confidante, Zeke the Zebra said, "A lot of people are crying over Cecil lately, but, let me tell you, I've lost a lot of friends and family to him. He was an animal. I won't be crying no tears."

What I hate is the division between hunters. I've seen so many comments from hunters trying to distance themselves fro the 'evil trophy hunters'. They seem to think if they distance themselves they'll save their bacon. What they don't realize is the antis don't care, they want to ban it all! First they'll go after the 'exotic trophy hunters' but they'll be after the guy in his deer blind soon.

We're all in the same boat. While we should never tolerate illegal behavior we need to stand together because we will all go down together.

B.Shannon said:

...I honestly feel, facebook, twitter, and whatever other social network out there, that allows cowards to ensite violence against others need to be held accountable. We all have the freedom of speech, but when it causes harm to others, those who give that platform are just as guilty as those who spew the hate...

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Totally agree, it is interesting though that they are quick to block hunting pictures when you post them, hmmm??? Makes you think.