Mopane the lion is no more.

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Reporter Travel (August 7, 2021)

Lion ‘Mopane’ killed by hunters in Zimbabwe

A male lion known as Mopane has been killed in a hunting area on the outskirts of Hwange National Park. Reliable sources say that the lion was targeted by a bow hunter in the same area that renowned lion Cecil was killed in 2015.

Reports confirm that the hunt was legal and that the necessary permits were in place.

Mopane was a 12 year old pride male with a litter of six cubs. The identity of the professional hunter and the client have yet to be confirmed.

Almost every year, a dominant pride male resident between the park and the boundary farms is taken out by hunters. There is significant impact on pride dynamics as a result. Males taken out of a pride often cause conflict as other males move in resulting in the loss of lionesses, less dominant males or cubs which are killed by the new males. Dispersal of youngsters fleeing into external areas creates potential human-wildlife conflict with communities living on the borders of the park. 20 lions have been killed in this area over the past decade. Many argue that the current level of lion hunting is not sustainable in the area bordering Hwange National Park.

Before he was targeted, Mopani had formed a coalition with another male named Sidhule. On 10 August 2019, World Lion Day, Sidhule was shot and killed by hunters on the outskirts of the park.
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This hunter should have waited another two days. . . . . . . . . . . .

Maybe while naming and teaching them to come
when called.
They should teach them to stay within the park
boundaries so they won't make the anti's news for getting shot.

Congrats to the hunter!

George

My only concern is the report indicates the lion had dependent cubs. At his age being 12, I accept he would be dispose, and the dependent cubs killed sooner than later.

He would have fathered many litters at 12.

One reason I always thought 3-4 year males wo prides were better to target or truly out cast males only. The critical factor in taking a lion should be whether the lion has dependent cubs not so much age or “trophy quality”. Such things are just speculation in my part.

Agsin, how much money did this hunt generate for the park that saw him live and father liters until 12 years old. My speculation wo any hard numbers is hunting kept the ecosystem in place that allowed a 12 year old male lion to hold a pride and father cubs.

so you're ok with baiting a Lion out the park, because there are ZERO in the hunting block as they have already been wiped out

and knowing the likelihood of the cubs not surviving? And yes, the PH can easily pop across to the Lodge where the pride stays and ask the status of cubs etc. Your post is pathetic George

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Maybe while naming and teaching them to come
when called.
They should teach them to stay within the park
boundaries so they won't make the anti's news for getting shot.

Congrats to the hunter!

George

.

quote:

Your post is pathetic George

5th post on a new thread and "we" are already attacking each other ! The antis have nothing to worry about we will destroy ourselves as a community in time

.

With 29 posts since 2009, me thinks Mr. I. Zim is an anti-hunting plant on AR. One should review prior posts such as OXpecker. Believe me they monitor websites such as ours...