A lion named Blondie, who became something of a living legend, has been lured away from the safety of his game reserve and butchered by a trophy hunter in what critics are branding a “kill thrill!”
Blondie has long been a firm favourite of tourists from all over the world who have travelled to Zimbabwe to snap a picture of the king of the beasts.
Just three months ago, Blondie was fitted with a GPS collar and placed under the watchful eye of experts from Oxford University.
The plan was to track Blondie and his pride of three adult females and 10 cubs and use the data as part of a long-term study.
However, the GPS collar wasn’t enough to save the lion from those who get a kick out of taking life to boost their own self-esteem.
Campaigners have told The Sun that Blondie the lion was lured to his demise by a trophy hunter who had paid at least $46,000 to kill the magnificent beast with a high-powered rifle from a great and extremely safe distance.
Blondie, who was just five years old, was coaxed into the crosshairs of his killer after being tempted with chunks of rotting meat thrown from the back of a truck. It is claimed the killers used the meat to bait a trail out of the safety of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe to a place where a man with a gun and a mental health issue waited patiently.
Blondie’s death is sadly reminiscent of the killing of Cecil the Lion in 2015.
Cecil was also lured far from the safety of his reserve and shot dead with a bow and arrow by a trophy hunter from the US who paid big bucks for the experience.
Cecil the lion’s death ignited outrage across the globe and led to a tightening of the rules and regulations surrounding the hunting of lions in Zimbabwe.
The death of Blondie is a savage reminder that things have not changed as much as many hoped. People still get thrills from killing defenceless animals, and others are quite happy to make a lot of money from arranging it.
Africa Geographic boss Simon Espley said, “As the sponsor of Blondie’s research collar, we are dismayed and angered by this development.
“That Blondie’s prominent collar did not prevent him from being offered to a hunting client, confirms the stark reality that no lion is safe from trophy hunting guns.
“He was a breeding male in his prime, making a mockery of the repeated claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.”
LionExpose suggests that Blondie had been targeted and baited for a long time before the hunters managed to lure him to an area where they could slaughter him without being noticed.
They explained, “Hunting sites use social media and scour these sites for photos of lions to advertise to their clients.
“So when a lion becomes widely known and famous, a target and a price are put on it.
“It is how all the famous Hwange region lions like Cecil and so many more named lions are dead because trophy hunters wanted them.
“And now you have the latest worldwide name of Blondie to add to those.”
Roar Wildlife News said in a statement, “Another beloved lion, another shattered pride, another trophy just for someone’s wall.
“Blondie was a striking lion and one of Hwange’s most recognisable figures and was gunned down in the prime of his life after being lured out from a safe prohibited hunting area.
“This is not the first time Hwange has been robbed of one of its stars.
“The world still remembers Cecil, baited and killed, under eerily similar circumstances a decade ago.
“The outrage then was global. Promises were made. Policies were reviewed. Lots of noises were heard. Yet here we are again.
“A living, breathing icon like Blondie is no more.”
