All of our news feeds have been littered with arguments about a lion named Cecil. If somehow you haven't heard, Cecil was a prized lion from Zimbabwe that was lured out of his protected habitat where he was later brutally killed. Cecil's death has sparked much outrage and criticism. Many people have shown their dislike of the hunter. Moreover, many have come to the hunter's defense. Defenders of the hunter are saying that people suffer from "political correctness." In my opinion, that makes no sense. People are mad because this dentist was poaching a majestic, endangered creature.
Yes, the dentist may have believed he had all of the necessary precautions. However, just because the people who accompanied him said it was legal does't make it legal. Hunting is seen as a hobby and I respect that. However, I personally see no point in trophy hunting. Why do you need to shoot a large cat? There is really no reason that at least I can see. Also, if you are going to kill an animal, why not do it humanely? Why make it suffer for two days from wounds inflicted?
Cecil's death has shown people why we need to continue with wildlife conservation. Humans have already wiped out enough species due to our own selfish practices. Many other animals such as rhinos and elephants are targeted by poachers just for trophies. How can we let ourselves wipe out species just to but them in our home? The animals look better in their natural habitat.
Another problem associated with Cecil's killing is the idea of America. Many other countries don't see the United States as a paradise. They see us as selfish, narcissistic people who do as we please. We need to change the stereotype of how other countries see us. We can't have our own people disobeying laws in foreign countries. We can't have them doing reckless things like hunting endangered species.
Cecil has given a fresh wind of life into wildlife conservation. It's a good thing, too. People are finally realizing that we need to take care of our planet. Us humans are destroying the world. Wouldn't it be sad if 30 years from now you couldn't see a lion at the zoo because big game hunters killed them all? We need to take steps now. Cecil is just the beginning of a global realization that we need to protect endangered species.Cecil's death needs to be seen as a movement toward conservation rather than a right wing's political statement.
The point of me writing this article is not to bash the dentist who butchered Cecil. My point is to show people that we need to protect endangered species. I'm not encouraging hatred for the dentist either. Everyone does make mistakes. His was just a rather large one. Cecil came at a perfect time. Just now our own country is taking steps toward combating climate change. Cecil's death is strengthening this movement to protect our planet and all of the species that coexist within it. Cecil didn't die in vain. Cecil's death is now a part of something bigger; a realization that we need to protect endangered species that can no longer protect themselves.
