Cecil the lion killed in Africa
Cecil, a well-known male lion, living in Hwange Game Reserve, in Zimbabwe was lured away from the sanctuary of the park and killed by an illegal party of big game hunters July 1, 2015, according to the Zimbabwean government.
The hunter who killed the lion was identified by conservation groups as American Dr. Walter James Palmer, a dentist in Minneapolis.
Cecil the lion
The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said two men, one a landowner whose property is adjacent to a game reserve, and the other a professional big game hunting guide, are facing poaching charges.
Cecil the lion
Dr. Palmer admitted to killing Cecil and sent a statement to the Minneapolis Star Tribune stating he believed all the proper hunting permits required were obtained and he had no idea the lion was a "local favorite."
Palmer has been in legal trouble for poaching previously in 2008, pleading guilty to a license violation after shooting a black bear in Wisconsin.
In this photo, Jericho, standing, and Cecil are seen in Hwange Game Reserve on May 27, 2015.
Cecil the lion
Thirteen-year-old Cecil had been tagged by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the U.K. and was the subject of over a decade of research.
It appeared that Cecil was shot with a bow and arrow and then stalked for more than 40 hours before being killed with a rifle shot, officials said.
American dentist Dr. Walter James Palmer was named as Cecil's killer by the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association.
Cecil the lion
Cecil is seen, in this photo, several weeks before he was killed by a group of hunters, who now face poaching charges, in Zimbabwe.
Cecil was found beheaded and skinned.
Cecil the lion
Professor David MacDonald, founder of the research unit at Oxford, told CBS News: "Our understanding is that when he was shot by a bow hunter outside the park he was shot illegally. If so, that is unforgivable and a terrible tragedy for lion conservation."
Cecil the lion
Cecil walks through Zimbabwe's Hwange Game Reserve.
The male lion had six cubs who will now probably be killed by a male lion from another group or coalition, according to the Animal Planet's predator expert David Salmoni.
Cecil the lion
The Zimbabwean hunter accused in the case claimed that Cecil was not specifically targeted, and the group only learned after the fact that they had killed a well-known lion, according to the Safari Operators Association.
Cecil the lion
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that an American paid the $50,000 for the hunt.
Cecil the lion
Cecil the lion.
Walter James Palmer
American dentist, Walter James Palmer, accused of killing beloved lion Cecil is seen here on an expedition with another lion, not Cecil.
Cecil the lion
Piper Hoppe, 10, from Minnetonka, Minnesota, holds a sign at the doorway of Walter Palmer's River Bluff Dental clinic protesting the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 29, 2015.
A Zimbabwean court on Wednesday charged a professional local hunter Theo Bronkhorst with failing to prevent an American from unlawfully killing Cecil, the southern African country's best-known lion.
Cecil the lion
A K-9 Unit Bloomington Police dog sniffs at stuffed animals blocking the doorway of Walter Palmer's River Bluff Dental clinic in protest against the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 29, 2015.
Cecil the lion
Sarah Madison (L) holds her son Beckett, 3, as her daughter Quinn, 5 (in lion costume), look at stuffed animals at the doorway of Walter Palmer's River Bluff Dental clinic in protest against the killing of Cecil, a famous lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 29, 2015.
Cecil the lion
Protesters hold signs during a rally on July 29, 2015 outside the River Bluff Dental clinic in Bloomington, Minnesota, against the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by dentist Walter Palmer.
Two hunting party members were arraigned in Zimbabwe while Palmer temporarily closed his office and faced an investigation and extradition request, amid a firestorm of worldwide criticism.
Cecil the lion
Protesters rally outside the River Bluff Dental clinic against the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 29, 2015.
As of July 28, Palmer had temporarily closed his dental office, in Bloomington, Minnesota, amid calls for his death and widespread criticism of his hunting on social media and under business reviews on Google and Yelp.
Honest Ndlovu
Zimbabwean landowner Honest Ndlovu arrives at the Prosecutor's office at the Magistrate's Court in Hwange for a hearing in proceedings on poaching charges in connection to the killing of Cecill the lion, July 29, 2015.
Ndlovu and professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst appeared in court for their participation in a hunting expedition in which American dentist, Walter Palmer, killed Cecil just outside a national park, sparking criticism around the world.
Cecil the lion, a popular attraction among international visitors to Hwange National Park, was lured beyond the reserve's boundaries by bait and killed earlier in the month.
Theo Bronkhorst
Professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst (L) leaves the Magistrate's Court in Hwange after proceedings on poaching charges in the death of Cecil the lion, July 29, 2015.
Bronkhorst and local landowner Honest Ndlovu were granted $1,000 bail each on July 29 on charges of "failing to prevent an illegal hunt" after they organized the expedition in which Cecil was killed by Dr. Palmer, an experienced big game trophy hunter.