In what critics are calling a “kill thrill,” a trophy hunter lured a lion named Blondie—who became something of a living legend—away from the security of his game reserve and killed him!
When tourists from all over the world come to Zimbabwe to take pictures of the king of the lions, Blondie has long been their favorite.
Blondie was fitted with a GPS collar and placed under the close supervision of Oxford University experts just three months ago.
As part of a long-term study, Blondie and his pride of ten cubs and three adult females were to be tracked.
The GPS collar, however, was unable to protect the lion from individuals who like taking lives to increase their own sense of self-worth.
Campaigners told The Sunthat Blondie newspaper a trophy hunter who had paid at least $46,000 to shoot the majestic animal with a powerful gun from a large and extremely safe distance had led the lion to his death.
Blondie was just five years old when he was lured into his killer’s sights with pieces of rotten meat that were tossed from the back of a truck. The murderers allegedly used the meat to lure a trail out of Zimbabwe’s protected Hwange National Park to a location where a man with a rifle and a mental illness waited calmly.
Unfortunately, Blondie’s passing brings to mind Cecil the Lion’s murder in 2015.
Additionally, a US trophy hunter who spent a lot of money for the experience lured Cecil far from the protection of his reserve and shot him dead with a bow and arrow.
The death of Cecil the lion sparked international indignation and resulted in Zimbabwe’s lion hunting laws being strengthened.
Blondie’s passing serves as a harsh reminder that not everything has changed as much as many had anticipated. Killing helpless animals still gives people thrills, and some people are content to profit handsomely from the arrangement.
“As the sponsor of Blondie’s research collar, we are devastated and incensed by this development,” stated Simon Espley, the head of Africa Geographic.
No lion is safe from trophy hunting rifles, as evidenced by the fact that Blondie’s conspicuous collar did not stop him from being presented to a hunting customer.
Despite the frequent assertions that trophy hunters exclusively hunt elderly, non-breeding males, he was a breeding male in his prime.
According to LionExpose, Blondie had been the object of baiting for a considerable amount of time before the hunters were able to draw him to a location where they could kill him covertly.
They clarified that hunting websites search social media for images of lions to post to their customers.
Thus, a lion is given a target and a price when it gains widespread recognition and notoriety.
This is the reason why trophy hunters killed Cecil and several other well-known lions from the Hwange region.
You can now add Blondie’s most recent global name to them.
“Another cherished lion, another broken pride, another trophy just for someone’s wall,” stated Roar Wildlife News in a statement.
One of Hwange’s most recognizable characters, Blondie was a powerful lion who was shot dead in his prime after being led out of a secure, off-limits hunting area.
This is not the first time a star has been taken from Hwange.
The world is still reminded of Cecil, who was killed after being lured under suspiciously identical conditions ten years ago.
Back then, there was a worldwide outcry. They made promises. The policies were examined. There were several sounds. But here we are once more.
Blondie, a live, breathing legend, is no more.
