World

Mugabe rages against killing of Cecil the lion

Zimbabwean president says our wildlife, all our animals, belong to us & they should not be shot with gun or with arrow

Afp August 10, 2015

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. PHOTO: AFP

HARARE: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Monday criticised the killing of Cecil the Lion, saying the animal was a key part of the country's heritage.

"Our wildlife, all our animals, belong to us. They should not be shot with a gun or with an arrow," Mugabe told thousands who gathered at a shrine on the outskirts of the capital Harare to commemorate Heroes' Day.

Read: 'Cecil the lion' trial postponed in Zimbabwe

"Even Cecil the lion is yours. He is dead. He was yours to protect and he [was] there to protect you," said the ageing president, who is often the target of condemnation over the country's human rights record.

Cecil was killed in early July by American dentist Walter Palmer who paid a local safari company owner $55,000 (50,000 euros) to shoot the beast with a bow and arrow.

The hunt provoked worldwide outrage when it emerged that Cecil was a well-known attraction among visitors to Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park — and was wearing a tracking collar as part of an Oxford University research project.

The local guide Theo Bronkhorst was arrested and charged with failure to prevent an illegal hunt. He was granted $1,000 bail pending his trial on September 28.

In his speech Monday, Mugabe lashed out at foreigners he said were destroying his country's wildlife and other natural resources.

"There are vandals who come from all over. Of course some may be just ordinary visitors but others want to vandalise, to irregularly and illegally acquire part of these resources."

Read: Major US airlines end trophy hunter shipments after Cecil outcry

Palmer, an experienced trophy hunter, became the target of vicious abuse and death threats over Cecil's killing, and went into hiding after demonstrations outside his dental practice.

He apologised for killing Cecil, known by his distinctive black mane, but blamed local guides for misleading him.

Zimbabwean authorities have since launched a crackdown on illegal hunting.

COMMENTS (2)

njabu ndlovu | 9 years ago | Reply That is very confusing to most who knows that Mugabe's recent birthday party menu included not just a lion,crocodile, giraffe and more wild animals not forgetting an elephant that was shot, maybe since those animals belong to Zimbabwe its fine for him to choose when and how they should die.But they are dead.

cautious | 9 years ago | Reply If you want to protect Lions then why not make it illegal to hunt Lions in Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe encourages foreigners to hunt wildlife and it is a significant source of hard currency in a country which is "dirt poor" by any standards. The hunter that Mugabe "rages against" paid $50,000 for the privilege to hunt an Elephant and Lion - he hired a experienced/legitimate Zimbabwe hunting guide and the hunter never entered the restricted Wild Life reserve. The hunter didn't break any laws and it's not his fault that Mugabe is anti American. . BTW - it's interesting to note that Zimbabwe postponed the trial of the Zimbabwe hunting guide after his attorney declared that the hunt was legal and can prove it. I suspect Mugabe didn't want an innocent verdict to interfere with his "rage".

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