Lion Item: Cecil's Death Is Great for Rage, and Turns Out He's Also Great for Raising Cash

[Playinghardball]

The team at Oxford University that was studying him has received more than $780,000 in donations


Cecil the lion’s death last month has resulted in donations of more than $780,000 to the team at Oxford University that was studying him.

Researchers at Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit said Tuesday the money would help them study lions not only in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, where Cecil lived, but also in adjoining countries.

Cecil was lured out of Hwange and shot with a bow and arrow by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer who had paid $50,000 to hunt him. But the lion didn’t die immediately, and his hunters tracked him down and killed him some 40 hours later. Cecil was then skinned and beheaded.

Killing lions isn’t illegal, and, as we noted Monday, 11 African countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa, issue permits for their hunting. Indeed, some hunters argue trophy hunting actually helps conservation, by providing tens of thousands of dollars per permit to countries that otherwise lack the resources to protect wildlife.

>snip<

The $780,000 in donations was aided by a $100,000 matching pledge from American philanthropists Tom and Daphne Kaplan.

More here: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/cecil-supporters-donations/400436/