When news broke around the world that Zimbabwe’s most famous lion, Cecil, had been hunted, skinned and beheaded by American dentist and “big game” enthusiast, Walter Palmer, many wondered how a tourist could have hunted and killed a lion so easily without interference from local security or wildlife rangers.
How, some asked, did he even get access to the area? Let alone hire guides, weapons, vehicles and – a horrible thought – get clearance to export Cecil’s head?
Despite initial theories that Palmer has sought out underground and illegal measures to execute his “sport”, the sad and horrifying truth is that the hunting industry in Africa is not only thriving, but is almost over-saturated with big game price lists, hunting retreats and ‘King of the Jungle packages’.
A simple Google search into the topic “hunting in Africa” returned more than 15 results, all of which offer luxuries such as “Big Five” hunting, which includes a lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and a rhinoceros, daily laundry service, free attendance and hunting for minors and free taxidermy of your kill.
One of the services even offers an exclusive hunting trip for an elephant “under 400lbs” – in other words, a baby elephant.
Another site, focused on hunting lions primarily, urges hunters to “get your wild lion while you still can”.
“The time to hunt your lion is NOW, while you still can!” reads the site, “You should not put this hunt off! Never before has this outfitter offered a lion of this quality at this low price!”
The prices for the “kill list” range from $400 for a wild cat or a baboon, to $35,000 for a “primed” male lion – of course it is up to you whether you hunt them ‘wild’ or within a fenced enclosure. If the latter, services do offer a fenced in animal which they will injure prior to the hunt for ease of killing.
Once you select your chosen package and transfer over the money, most of the companies boast about the ease of weapon importation, hunting permits and even “luring tactics”, the very same used to lure Cecil out of his park.
The only thing they can’t help you with is getting your ‘trophy’ home.
It is packages and ‘retreats’ like these, as well as the brutal killing of Cecil, that have prompted activists and animal-lovers to call for a complete ban on wild game hunting throughout Africa.
There are currently less than 20,000 lions left in the wild.
