Cecil the lion: Zimbabwe lifts ban on lion hunting after just one week

Killed: Cecil the lion was allegedly shot with a crossbow
EPA
Hannah Al-Othman10 August 2015

Zimbabwe has reportedly lifted a country-wide ban on lion, elephant, and leopard hunting that was imposed just a week ago, in the wake of Cecil the lion's death.

The ban was imposed on August 2 following global outrage over the killing of Cecil by US dentist Walter Palmeron on an illegal hunt just outside Hwange National Park in western Zimbabwe.

The parks and wildlife authority, Zimparks, also suspended hunting with a bow and arrows, which Palmer had used to injure Cecil, except with express permission from the authority's head.

A statement from the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association, leaked this weekend, and seen by News24, read: "We are pleased to inform you that, following some useful discussions between operators and the relevant Zimbabwean authorities, the suspension has now been uplifted throughout the country."

However, there are some exceptions, with lion-hunting still banned in the Antoinette farm that Cecil was killed in in early July, another farm where a second lion was recently illegally hunted, and in two other areas.

The statement also says that Zimbabwe authorities appear to have banned all hunting of "collared iconic animals."

Cecil was wearing a collar when he was killed, and was one of several collared lions in Hwange to be killed so far this year, according to conservationists.

After the ban was imposed, conservationists expressed fears it could lead to a rise in poaching, as safari operators look to make up for lost income.

Emmanuel Fundira, director of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, told Al Jazeera he was concerned the potential losses could be far-reaching.

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He said: "Some communities depend on commercial hunting, and these people cannot be punished because of the actions of a few individuals."

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