Cecil was initially wounded with an arrow by Walter Palmer, an American recreational big-game hunter, then tracked, and reportedly killed with a rifle approximately 40 hours later on 1 July 2015. Palmer says that Cecil was killed with a bow and arrow in much less than 40 hours after the lion was first wounded. Cecil was 13 years old when killed. Palmer had a permit and was not charged with any crime. Authorities in Zimbabwe have said he is free to visit the country as a tourist but not as a hunter.
He was a major attraction at the park and was being studied and tracked by the University of Oxford as part of a larger study.
MURDERER!