https://africageographic.com/s...h3lQBtFU4BjIXsSQ_eug

Link has photos of the lion and trophy photo.



Trophy hunted: Another Hwange collared pride male lion

Posted on July 24, 2025 by teamAG

Blondie, a well-known, collared pride male lion in Zimbabwe’s Hwange area, has been trophy hunted after being lured into a hunting area with bait – leaving behind 10 cubs

During the week of 29 June 2025, Blondie was shot and killed by a trophy hunter just outside Hwange National Park, in the Gwaai / Sikumi Forest area. Despite wearing a conspicuous research collar and being younger than the recommended minimum hunting age of six years, this young lion was lured out of a photographic concession and killed in what many are calling a deeply unethical hunt. Yet, sources say the hunt took place legally, with all required permitting in place. The Professional Hunter is allegedly a member of the Zimbabwe Professional Guides Association (ZPGA).


Blondie was collared by the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), using a collar sponsored by Africa Geographic, in April this year. These GPS satellite collars are fitted to track free-roaming lions, prevent human-wildlife conflict, and support long-term conservation. Africa Geographic approached WildCRU and the University of Oxford for comment, but we are yet to receive an official response.

Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley had this to say: “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 ethics that ZPGA regularly espouses and the repeated claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.”


At the time of his death, according to one source, Blondie was 5 years and 3 months old and the dominant male of a pride that included three adult females and ten cubs – seven cubs around one year old and three approximately one month old. Zimbabwe hunting regulations mandate a minimum age of 6 years for lions trophy hunted, focusing on mature, non-pride males.

At just over five years old, Blondie was in the prime of his life. He was not a transient male on the periphery; he was a territory-holder, and a father. His sudden loss is expected to cause turmoil for the pride, with a high likelihood that incoming rival males will kill his youngest cubs. Such infanticide is common in lion dynamics, especially when coalitions shift. In the chaos that follows, the lionesses may flee the safety of the concession into communal lands, where snares and human conflict await.


Blondie had often been seen on the private photographic concession since 2022 (where hunting is prohibited). Blondie took over the Zingweni pride and sired the current cubs. The pride’s movements frequently followed buffalo herds around Dete Vlei and into the Ganda Forest, outside Hwange National Park’s boundary.

According to reports from operators in the area, Blondie was last seen in his core range in June 2025. Observations suggest that he was baited out of the photographic concession over a period of several weeks and lured into the hunting area, where he was subsequently shot. The entire pride reportedly followed him during this period.

There are concerns that the Professional Hunter (PH) involved in the hunt was aware that Blondie was collared and that he had dependent cubs. It has been reported that, two weeks prior to the hunt, the hunter confirmed seeing Blondie with cubs and lionesses. When approached by AG for his side of the story, the PH declined to comment, other than to say that the hunt was “conducted legally, and ethically.”


An image posted of Blondie’s trophy hunted body on social media. The image has since been removed

Blondie was the last known descendant of the Somadada pride, which had previously moved from Hwange into community areas. He had since established a stable pride in an area where resident lions have historically been scarce, due in part to conflict with local communities and previous hunting pressure.

Stakeholders have raised questions about the ethics of the hunt, specifically concerning the lion’s age, his status as an active pride male with dependent cubs, and the presence of a research collar.

AG reached out to the Zimbabwe Professional Guides Association for comment – we are yet to receive a response.

The photographic operators in the region report that there are few, if any, established lion prides within the hunting concessions themselves. As a result, male lions are often drawn from adjacent photographic areas or park lands. Conservationists and local stakeholders continue to call for a review of lion hunting quotas along the boundaries of Hwange National Park, and for clearer ethical guidelines in such cases.

That lion looked at least six years old, and I didn't see a conspicuous collar on it either, especially with that full mane.

Research on lions.

This includes being shot too!

Where does it say that a collared Lion or any other animal wearing a collar is off limits if not when it resides within a protected boundary
but considered fair game when it wanders beyond its protected area?

Where is it written that one cannot bait in the vicinity of a protected area and/or hunt within any specified proximity of a park boundary or buffer zone, in some cases?

As long as the hunt was conducted according to the regulations this animal was lawfully hunted but even so will not stop the anti-hunting brigade and Lion King sympathizers from hollering their disdain.

If you read the article you would see how convoluted their brains are!

I couldn’t see the collar, but I suspect they removed it before taking the pictures.

Personally, I wouldn’t shoot any collared animal.

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I couldn’t see the collar, but I suspect they removed it before taking the pictures.

That would have been the correct thing to do and return it to the nearest authority, most likely the Park, who would have given it back to the "researchers".

However, question begs: Are these "researchers" genuinely collaring Lions for scientific purposes or as a deterrent in preventing them getting shot, which often happens and when it does, they start hollering foul regardless of knowing that the collar is NOT a guarantee to survival?

The only animals I have heard of being collared other than Lions are Elephants and Wild dogs and I ask myself why not Leopards, Buffalo and Hippo from the Big 5 and the other lesser species especially when our scientific friends are declaring them to be on the brink of extinction?

Nice looking Lion. I believe I recall when the whole "age the lion" debate arose another factor in the ethical decision in killing a male was whether he was a pride holder.

The collar is irrelevant in my personal opinion. I believe I also remember a statement by Dr. Coleen Begg, head of the Niassa Reserve carnivore project, that her opinion was the taking of a collared lion was actually contributing data to the study.

I have no way of knowing if the PH or hunter had any idea this lion was pride holder. If they did and shot it anyway I can't agree with that action.

When I was hunting there a couple years back (not for cats) we saw 3-4 lion males. All collared. The comment from the game scout was that there were some photo safari groups collaring all of them to stop them from being hunted.

I’d be interested in hearing how putting a collar on the male reduces lion-human conflict.

The local’s usual way of dealing with lions was to put a bunch of cattle dip in to lion kills. No lion after a couple days.

Seeing how much meat a lion eats, I can’t say that I blame a guy whose livelihood is based on a couple cows and a lion kills one of them. You need to give the rural folks some value to the animals. Photo lodges generally are owned by rich folks and they don’t pay that great of wages…

I've heard researchers say that hunting mortality on collared animals is valuable information. Concerned that he was supposedly 5 years and three months. I've always had a hard time judging those 5-6 year old cats. Young and old are easy. But a male that goes on walkabout -- there's just no indication he has a pride. Another concern I've had in the past, but if there is no indication that the lion has a pride and he is clearly old enough, I'll shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

I couldn’t see the collar, but I suspect they removed it before taking the pictures.

That would have been the correct thing to do and return it to the nearest authority, most likely the Park, who would have given it back to the "researchers".

However, question begs: Are these "researchers" genuinely collaring Lions for scientific purposes or as a deterrent in preventing them getting shot, which often happens and when it does, they start hollering foul regardless of knowing that the collar is NOT a guarantee to survival?

The only animals I have heard of being collared other than Lions are Elephants and Wild dogs and I ask myself why not Leopards, Buffalo and Hippo from the Big 5 and the other lesser species especially when our scientific friends are declaring them to be on the brink of extinction?

Like this?

There are lots of things that are perfectly legal but not right or wise to do. Having an affair with your hunting partner's wife then boasting about it while out on a hunt with him for instance. Shooting collared lions is also asking for trouble.
Laws made my African governments must be obeyed but they are not always good or even sensible laws.
I would argue (and I am often wrong!) that very few old male lions thrown out of their pride get to live long enough to be legally shot. The vast majority of legal age lions that get shot are breeding males. They may not be with their prides at the time but territorial males have to cover a lot of distance.
The lions which cause the most trouble to the local people are young transient males or very old individuals which can't take wild game any more. Genetically the strongest and best lions are single males which manage to hold a pride. The consortiums of 3 or 4 males are not necessarily individually strong, they just have strength in numbers.
If we were genuinely interested in preserving the best lions we would get the laws changed so that the young coalitions could be broken up and the breeding males left. ie only males under 5 and over 10 could be shot. I can't see many PH's being keen on that idea!
if you are desperate to have a heavy maned lion in your trophy room instead of a fluffy maned youngster or a ragged maned geriatric you can always go to South Africa!

I have shot quite a few lions.

Not a single one was out of a pride.

This incident is what the English call six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Completely legal to shoot.

No questions there.

But with collar??

I suspect most hunters wouldn’t shoot it.

At least that is the impression I got from talking to hunters.

Pretty soon, countries are going to prohibit the killing of collared animals. They have already "guilted" hunters into avoiding them.

When this is realized, every leftist University in the United States will collar mature male lions and elephants as a misguided scheme to prevent them from being hunted.

That is the future.