Community Chat

[KingstonsMom]

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@Venezia wrote:

@KingstonsMom - Thank you so much for this update and the wonderful photo.  Just last night I was thinking about this and wondering whether the cubs survived.  There was so much about it in the news at the time, then (as these things do), it simply seemed to fall off the radar.

I still have the "20/20" documentary about Walter Palmer recorded and I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it because I know the rage I'll feel all over again towards him and others like him, who slaughter these magnificent animals for "pleasure".  (How sick and twisted is that?)

It's uplifting to see those beautiful cubs growing to maturity.  Thank goodness the mothers' instincts kicked in and kept them safe.

(ETA:  BTW, I think Mr. Palmer should pay a return visit to these offspring of Cecil.  I think he should be dropped off in the middle of them, with no weapon of any kind and no means of escape.  JMO of what's "fair".

@BellaVenezia

I too, have been thinking about the cubs and fearing the worst. They were facing almost insurmountable odds of surviving, much less ALL of them surviving!

I give much credit to the lionesses for their survival, but let's not forget Cecil's male pride mate, Jericho.

He would've been instrumental in warding off rogue males looking to take over Cecil's territory and pride.

If they had succeeded in doing so, all of Cecil's cubs would've been killed by the new male.

As far as Palmer is concerned, he's a waste of skin, IMO.

May bad karma and bad ju-ju follow him all the days of his miserable life.

[Drythe]

@KingstonsMom

Thank you for posting this!

I'd like to add that Jericho has small family of his own now, but he still watches over Cecil's pride carefully.

ROAR CECIL !!!

[ROMARY]

Thank you so much for this photo and the update.  Seriously, each time I thought about Cecil, my stomach 'turned'.  Now, I can try to think of these five precious lion cubs instead.     You made my evening.  Keep safe, everyone; pets and animals, too.

[AKgirl2]

May these beautiful and magnificent creatures live their lives without harm and in peace.

[Verdana]

Thanks for this update @KingstonsMom. Heartwarming pix but heartbreaking story still.💔

[KingstonsMom]

@diverdan1228

I agree that it's a heartbreaking story, but we have to accept what we cannot change....Cecil is gone tragically.

WIth all of the turmoil and uncertainty goin' on in our world today, I personally found a little solace and a  reason to smile, seeing that these cubs are healthy and thriving, beating the odds and that Cecil's lineage will continue.

[Verdana]

[chickenbutt]

Awesome pic, Verdana!    Thanks!

[Verdana]

@KingstonsMom and @chickenbutt ❤️

[spindlegirl]

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@KingstonsMom wrote:

Basking in the morning sun and enjoying an elevated view of the territory they control, these are the offspring of Cecil the Lion - an extraordinary picture of survival 'against the odds' - exactly a year after the iconic cat was shot and killed by an American trophy-hunter.

The sight of the seven maturing cats is one few conservationists would have predicted in the wake of Cecil’s slow, agonising death after being shot by dentist Walter Palmer’s bow and arrow.

The fact that Cecil’s offspring – five females and two males by three lioness mates – are not only alive, but are clearly thriving, has thrilled staff at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park who feared they would be killed in the battle for control of the dead cat’s pride and territory.

Professional guide Lewis Mangaba who took the pictures, paid tribute to the three lionesses who survived against ‘all odds’ to successfully raise the 18 month-old youngsters alone.

These are not ordinary lions but the success story of three lionesses that have chosen the nomadic life in the vast Hwange National Park and survived all odds to save the life of seven youngsters after the untimely death of Cecil, knowing that the survival of the cubs is crucial for the future of their own kind,’ he wrote on his Facebook page.

Palmer, from Minnesota, paid £45,000 to hunt and shoot the majestic Cecil, easily recognisable by his black mane and Hwange's biggest tourist draw card. The 12 year-old cat wore a collar and was a key part of an expensive research project monitored by Oxford University.

The shamed dentist was forced into hiding for weeks after receiving death threats following his shooting of Cecil – exactly a year ago on Friday (1 July) - which prompted an international outcry.

Reports doubting the survival of Cecil’s young and his close ally Jericho – with whom he shared territory and two prides – have regularly emerged from Hwange, the largest reserve in Zimbabwe.

But these new pictures bring hope that the slaughtered cat’s offspring now have the strength and experience to survive without his protection.

Rest in peace, magnificent Cecil!

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❤️ @KingstonsMom. Thank you. It still makes me cry.