It’s like The Lion King, except the uncle is the good guy.
Over the past week, there has been an outpouring of anger and sadness at the death of a beloved Zimbabwean lion named Cecil.
Vince O’Sullivan / Via Flickr: vjosullivan
The lion, which was being monitored by Oxford University scientists, was lured out of a conservation area and shot by an American dentist.
Zimbabwe government ministers want the dentist extradited to face charges, and the U.S. government made contact with him on Friday, authorities told BuzzFeed News.
Adding to the sadness, conservationists had warnedCecil’s six cubs would also likely be killed by a rival male lion seeking to establish dominance in the pride.
“As you probably know, the natural law in lion society is that when a male dies and his weakened coalition is usurped, the new incoming males kill their predecessors’ cubs,” David Macdonald, project manager of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Unit wrote.
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But fear not! An unlikely hero has stepped in to save the day!
Macdonald says the cubs may be safe because “Cecil’s brother is still holding the fort.”
Some more good news: After Jimmy Kimmel made an emotional plea for donations for the Oxford research group after Cecil’s death, money has been flooding in!
Almost $470,000 has been raised so far, Macdonaldsaid, leaving his team “overwhelmed and inspired.”
American philanthropist Tom Kaplan and his wife Daphne have even agreed to pledge around $150,000 to match every dollar raised to help the Oxford team reach a $780,000 goal.
“We have to seize this moment where we can all make a difference,” Tom Kaplan said. “Jimmy Kimmel nailed it: If the tragic, illegal, death of Cecil can lead to the saving of many more lions, then some good can come from tragedy.”
Disney / Via giphy.com
Source – buzzfeed.com
