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'American' kills ‘magnificent’ lion in 'perverse' bow hunting incident which saw beloved animal suffer for 24 hours before dying after hiring same firm Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer hired to help him kill Cecil

A beloved lion who headed two prides died in agony after being hunted down by a man - said to be an American - who left the animal to suffer in agony for 24 hours.   

The hunter, whose identity has not been confirmed, killed the beloved 12-year-old lion named Mopane in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park on August 5. 

An American said to be the lion's killer is currently the subject of an angry campaign, although it is unclear if he was involved in slaughtering Mopane. DailyMail.com has contacted him for a comment. 

He allegedly tracked him down with the help of a local safari operator and enlisted the help of Dinguzulu Safaris ZTA HOP 0257, the same operator Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer hired before killing another beloved lion named Cecil in 2015, according to the New York Post.

Mopane's killing is even said to have taken place in close to the exact same spot where Cecil was slaughtered, an event that triggered prolonged global outrage.  

'The perverse pleasure some people derive from killing iconic animals brought this noble lion's life to a tragic end,' Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement.

'Another trophy hunter spending tens of thousands of dollars on a globe-trotting, thrill to kill escapade shows humanity at its worst.'

Mopane the 12-year-old lion was killed by an elusive bow-hunter on August 5

Mopane the 12-year-old lion was killed by an elusive bow-hunter on August 5

Mopane was the head of two prides, local conservation groups said, with both now at serious risk because of his death

Mopane was the head of two prides, local conservation groups said, with both now at serious risk because of his death 

The hunter, whose identity has not been confirmed despite social media posts claiming he is an American man, reportedly tracked Mopane down with the help of Dennis Nyakane, a guide for South African hunting operator Chattaronga Safaris.

He allegedly used bait to lure the lion to the border of the national park - reportedly the same spot where Cecil was gunned down six years ago.

Mopane was mortally injured with a bow, although it is unclear whether he was later finished off with another bow, or a gun, or left to succumb to his injuries.

It is also unclear if he was intentionally lured to his death, or just happened on some bait. 

Mopane was apparently known to have crossed the boundary, as his territory straddled both the national park and the game preserve. 

He was described as being 'well-known to local tour guides and international tourists visiting the area,' according to the Humane Society, which also said he had formed a coalition with another male lion named Sidhule, and the two of them presided over a pride of two adult females and six 'sub-adults' of about 16 to 18 years old.

Sidhule was killed by another trophy hunter in 2019, the Post reports, despite a local petition to protect him and his fellow pride mates.

'Mopane was a father and played a significant role in his pride,' Block said. 

'Without him, his pride is now vulnerable to take over by another male or group of males, which may lead to the killing of cubs and females in his pride.'

In a statement to African Geographic, stakeholders in Hwange tourism said: 'We, as stakeholders in Hwange, are forced to speak anonymously due to imminent threats posed by hunters and ZimParks profiteering from the hunting of lions.

'We are absolutely devastated by the killing of Mopane, a dominant pride male that lived in Hwange National Park and its boundaries.

'The killing of dominant males on the boundary areas is not conservation,' the statement read. 'It is unsustainable and will lead to the further demise of an already depleted and dysfunctional lion population.' 

It remains unlikely, however, that the hunter or hunters will be brought to justice, as trophy killing is not a crime in Zimbabwe.

Hunters allegedly lured Mopane to the edge of Hwange National Park where they killed him

Hunters allegedly lured Mopane to the edge of Hwange National Park where they killed him

They reportedly used a dead animal to lure the lion to his death. A family of elephants are seen here at the park

They reportedly used a dead animal to lure the lion to his death. A family of elephants are seen here at the park

According to online reports, Big Game Safaris International advertised Mopane as a desirable trophy kill in a since-deleted Instagram post on December 5, 2020.

'Do you want a chance to take a big free roaming lion?' the post read, adding that the lion was the 'most aggressive lion in our hunting block.'

African lions are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows hunters to import trophy-hunted lions and other exotic animals into the country.

'Until we have a properly-implemented regulatory framework that upholds the conservation mandate in federal law, this is little more than lawless carnage,' said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

Mopane's death comes just six years after Cecil the Lion was famously killed at the same national park. 

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said at the time that Walter James Palmer, of Minnesota, paid at least $50,000 to track and kill the animal, who was fitted with a GPS collar and tracked by an Oxford University research program.

The conservation group said he worked with local guides to lure Cecil from the national park to an unprotected area by strapping a 'dead animal to their vehicle,' USA Today reports.

Once Cecil exited the Hwange National Park, they said, Palmer shot Cecil with a bow and arrow, but did not kill him, instead using his blood to track him for 40 hours before shooting and killing him.

Cecil was then skinned and beheaded. 

In a statement to CBS, Palmer said: 'I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt.

'I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.' 

He was not charged in the incident, as an investigation found he had the proper paperwork for the hunt, the BBC reported in October 2015.

Conservation groups report that 24 of Oxford University's tagged 62 lions were killed by trophy hunters, including 13 adults and six sub-adult males

Conservation groups report that 24 of Oxford University's tagged 62 lions were killed by trophy hunters, including 13 adults and six sub-adult males

Conservation groups are now calling for an end to trophy hunting, which is legal in Zimbabwe

Conservation groups are now calling for an end to trophy hunting, which is legal in Zimbabwe

Now, African Geographic reports, over the past 12 years, hunters have killed more than 20 named lions.

Additionally, conservation groups report, of the 62 Hwange lions tagged by WildCRUS, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University, 24 were killed by trophy hunters - including 13 adults and six sub-adult males.

That amounts to about 72 percent of the male Hwange lions identified by the research project being killed.

They are now calling for an end to trophy hunting on social media, posting a comic strip of Cecil asking: 'Why did you have to kill me, sir? I had no fight with you. I was in my home with no intentions to harm you. And yet you murdered me in cold blood.'

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