The Slaying of Cecil: Hwange National Park

Cecil the Lion was a well-known and beloved lion living in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, famous for his distinctive black mane and role in a long-term research study by Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. In July 2015, Cecil was lured out of the park and killed by an American dentist, Walter Palmer, during a trophy hunt. Cecil’s death both devastated and enraged millions, and went on to become a symbol of the broader debate over trophy hunting, conservation ethics, and wildlife protection.