The killing of Cecil has sparked an international outcry and a backlash against big game trophy hunting. It was reported widely that baby elephant was among the wildlife dishes served at the lavish lunch marking President Mugabe's 91st-birthday celebrations in February. Not that Mugabe himself appears to have the best track record on wildlife issues. 'Some may be just ordinary visitors,' Mugabe said, 'but others want to vandalize, to irregularly and illegally acquire part of our resources.'

Mugabe, 91, said Zimbabweans must protect what he called their country's natural resources from foreign 'vandals' seeking to damage and exploit them. It's been reported that the lion, who wore a GPS collar and was part of an Oxford University research study, was lured out of Zimbabwe's protected Hwange National Park before being killed. The lion with the distinctive black mane was shot with a crossbow by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, who's said to have paid $50,000 for the hunt. 'He's dead, but he was yours to protect and you failed to protect him.' In a speech marking Zimbabwe's National Heroes Day on Monday, President Robert Mugabe said Zimbabweans had failed in their responsibility to protect Cecil the lion.

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