R.I.P. Cecil

I can’t stop thinking about it.  I really want to, but I can’t.  Ever since I saw the picture online of that A$$hole dentist, standing over a dead lion and smiling, I have been thinking about beautiful Cecil. 

 I will never understand the desire to kill such a beautiful creature simply for sport.  Pictures of Cecil have been circulating on social media for the past few days, and I find myself captivated by his regal stature.  He was truly majestic. 

 I know that social media brings out the crazies, and I am not joining the chorus that is demanding we shoot and skin the dentist, but I also do not feel sorry for him in any way.  I do believe that his dental practice will be closed.  Quite frankly, if this man has $50,000 to waste on killing a beautiful animal, he has enough money.  I don’t think he will go to jail, he did hire local guides who broke the law, but it might be very difficult to prove that this dentist knowingly broke the law.  Apparently he has gone into hiding due to death threats.  Again, I do not feel sorry for him.  This man is getting a great big dose of karma – when you kill for fun and sport, you are doing something very wrong. 

 The tragedy here is the loss of this incredible animal; the local population revered Cecil.  It is easy to see why.  The loss of Cecil is not only affecting the humans who loved him, he was an important part of his pride.  Lions are the only big cat that lives in a large group or 'pride', with as many as 40 individuals, primarily female and cubs.

 Around the world, big cats are endangered and the main threats are from human activities. Roughly 80 percent of the  wild cat species are shrinking and sixteen of them are considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.  Lion numbers have dropped an estimated 30 percent over the past twenty years, to less than a total of 30,000. Their top threat is conflicts with humans, especially when they hunt livestock, often resulting in the owners hunting them.

Trophy hunting is a controversial but popular recreational activity in Africa.  The public outcry for Cecil could have some positive effects.  If this needless and brutal act can motivate change in the practice of trophy hunting, then at least Cecil’s death will have some meaning. 

While we cannot regulate other countries, we can make it illegal for anyone to bring ANY dead animal trophies to the United States.  That way, a$$holes like this dentist will not be able to decorate their homes with these trophies, and hopefully this will deter them from participating in this horrific so-called ‘sport’.