Legendary lion Blondie lured from reserve and killed by trophy hunter in £35K shocking hunt
Blondie, a collared and well-known lion from Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, was tragically killed by a trophy hunter who paid a substantial fee. Lured from the park with bait over several weeks, his death has sparked outrage and renewed calls for stricter hunting regulations. This incident echoes the killing of Cecil the Lion, highlighting the ongoing threat to iconic wildlife.
TIL Creatives Blondie, the legendary lion from Hwange National Park, was tragically killed in a £35,000 trophy hunt, drawing comparisons to Cecil the Lion and sparking global backlash. Blondie, a famous lion in Zimbabwe, was lured out of the safe zone of Hwange National Park and shot dead by a trophy hunter who paid at least £35,000. The lion was just 5 years old and wore a GPS collar placed by Oxford University researchers only three months ago. The collar was part of a study to track Blondie, his 10 cubs, and 3 adult females. Despite the collar being clearly visible, it didn't stop him from being targeted. He was reportedly baited with chunks of rotting meat from a truck for up to 3 or 4 weeks to lead him away from park protection, as per The Sun report.
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A photo of the hunter posing with Blondie's body was posted online, then later deleted. Simon Espley, who sponsored Blondie's GPS collar, said: "No lion is safe from trophy hunting guns," and that Blondie was a breeding male, not an old non-breeding one as often claimed by hunters.LionExpose says hunters sometimes stalk famous lions for up to 2 years, waiting for the right moment to strike. They also claim that hunters use social media to spot and track popular lions, which puts a target and price on their heads. Roar Wildlife News said Blondie's death is another case of a beloved lion killed just to become a trophy for someone's wall. They compared this incident to Cecil the Lion, who was killed in 2015 in a similar way by a US trophy hunter who paid £37,500.
That killing caused global outrage and led to tighter hunting rules in Zimbabwe, but campaigners now feel those efforts didn't last. Roar Wildlife News stated: "A living breathing icon like Blondie is no more. Promises were made after Cecil, but here we are again."
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Trophy hunting continues in Zimbabwe, where a lion hunt can cost £26,300, with other animals like giraffes, zebras, and leopards also listed at high prices. These prices don't include shipping or taxidermy, making the true cost even higher. A retired hunter said that someone could pay between £37,000 and £60,000 just for the chance to shoot a lion as rare as Blondie. Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit is asking for a three-mile no-kill buffer zone around Hwange Park.There are now only around 20,000 wild lions left across Africa. In the past ten years, 24 lions have been trophy hunted from the Hwange area alone. Mike Blignaut, co-owner of Victoria Falls Safari Services, is believed to have organized the hunt, but said he couldn't comment yet. He added, "The hunt was legal and conducted ethically."Q1. Who was Blondie the lion and why was he killed?
Blondie was a famous lion in Zimbabwe, lured out of Hwange National Park and shot by a trophy hunter who paid over £35,000.
Q2. What happened after Blondie the lion was killed?
His death caused global anger, with experts saying it shows trophy hunting rules are still too weak despite past promises.
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