A petition demanding justice for slain lion, Cecil, has reached a staggering 435,000 signatures. The petition shows no sign of slowing, receiving thousands of signatures per hour.
The petition, posted on ThePetitionSite.com, reads in part,
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On July 1, Cecil the lion, one of the most famous animals in one of Zimbabwe‘s national parks, was shot by a bow hunter.
The hunter was a dentist from Minnesota who paid $55,000 for a hunting permit before shooting the 13-year-old big cat.
Please sign the petition to demand justice for Cecil! Tell Zimbabwe to stop issuing hunting permits to kill endangered animals!
The hunters reportedly lured Cecil out of Hwange National Park, where it is illegal to kill wildlife, at night. Cecil was shot with a bow and arrow. The wounded lion didn’t die until 40 hours later, when the hunters tracked him down and shot him with a rifle. They then skinned and beheaded him. The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association confirmed that Cecil was killed outside the park on private land, and an investigation is ongoing into the legality of the hunt.
Similarly, a White House petition for Cecil demanding extradition for the Dr. Walter James Palmer DDS who took his life, has garnered over 50,000 nods.