Cecil the Lion Brothers Now Trophy Hunter's Prime Target After Pride Exile

Cecil the lion's two brothers are at risk of being trophy hunted after they were exiled from their pride.

Cecil was a beloved African lion who rose to fame in 2015 after he was lured outside the protected area of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, and killed by an American trophy hunter named Walter Palmer. A research group had been tracking the lion for research purposes before he was killed by an arrow.

The lion's brothers, Humba and Netsai, took over Cecil's pride and home range in the park shortly after his death. But now they are at risk of suffering the same fate as their brother. The pair were ousted from their territory by a group of five lions dubbed by locals "the Baggage Handlers," the Facebook community World Heritage Species said. One of Cecil's last remaining sons is a member of the group.

Since then, Humba and Netsai have been spotted wandering outside the national park, World Heritage Species said on Facebook. There, they are under no protection, meaning they are a prime target for hunters. There are only an estimated 20,000 lions remaining in the wild.

Rogue Rubin, who directed Lion Spy, an upcoming Netflix UK documentary in which she goes undercover as a big cat photographer to infiltrate the world of trophy hunting, told Newsweek that wild male lions like Netsai and Humba are the "most desired trophy" for big game hunters.

"The size of the lion, and how dark its mane is, also adds value to a lion trophy. To a big game trophy hunter, it symbolizes a huge accomplishment and reinforces man's dominance over animals and land," Rubin said.

She continued: "A lion is considered king of the beasts, so they feel killing a lion is a true accomplishment. With high-powered guns, multiple people on hand to help, and often illegal methods involved in tracking and luring lions, I personally do not understand how these are still deemed 'ethical chase hunts.'"

Trophy hunting is the practice of killing large game such as lions or elephants. Cecil's death triggered global outrage over the controversial sport. Trophy hunting is legal in Zimbabwe for professional hunters with a license, but critics say it is poorly managed.

World Heritage Species shared on Facebook the news of the two brothers' exile in the hope that it would spread and protect them from hunters.

Cecil's family has severely suffered the effects of trophy hunting. In 2017, the famed lion's son Xanda was shot and killed by a trophy hunter.

Rubin said that the ousting of these two lions makes them especially vulnerable.

"It is important to talk about why these two males are not in the pride anymore, keeping in mind I do not know their age. At around age 2 or 3, young male lions leave their pride and try to take over another male's pride. Not all of them manage to do so, making them nomads and more vulnerable," Rubin said.

"There is a strong social structure in lion prides, based on specific roles. Lionesses are the primary hunters, and strong males are responsible for protecting the pride's territory," she said.

When Cecil died, the news spread worldwide and was even talked about by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

Shortly afterward, dozens of airlines restricted passengers from bringing wildlife trophies on flights. Also, African lions were listed in the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the import of them altogether.

"What we must remember, with lions being at risk of extinction, is that even if these lions are not producing cubs at the moment there are so few wild lions," Rubin said. "It is so important to tourism and the pride of Africa that these lions are left to live and die a natural death in the wild. They also contribute to the eco-structure of the land."

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Update 1/19/23 4:11 a.m. ET: This article was updated to say that Lion Spy will be coming to Netflix UK.