Beloved Lion 'Lured' From Protective Zone and Killed in 'Deeply Unethical Hunt'

A conservation community in Africa is mourning the death of Blondie, a 5-year-old collared pride male lion, who was shot and killed last month by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.

According to Africa Geographic (h/t For The Win), Blondie was "lured out of a photographic concession and killed in what many are calling a deeply unethical hunt." It's reported that the kill happened "despite [Blondie] wearing a conspicuous research collar and being younger than the recommended minimum hunting age of six years."

Blondie's collar was sponsored by Africa Geographic, and he was collared by the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) in April 2025.

"These GPS satellite collars are fitted to track free-roaming lions, prevent human-wildlife conflict, and support long-term conservation," Africa Geographic reports.

The kill is drawing even more outrage because "sources say the hunt took place legally, with all the required permitting in place," Africa Geographic reports. 

It's believed that Blondie was 5 years, 3 months old and in the prime of his life. He was the dominant male of a pride that included three adult females and 10 cubs. Blondie "was not a transient male on the periphery; he was a territory-holder, and a father. His sudden loss is expected to cause turmoil for the pride, with a high likelihood that incoming rival males will kill his youngest cubs."

Boots on the ground tell Africa Geographic that Blondie was last seen in his core range last month, and that observations suggest "he was baited out of the photographic concession over a period of several weeks and lured into the hunting area, where he was subsequently shot."

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The trophy hunter posted a disturbing photo of the killed lion. The photo has since been removed but posted on Africa Geographic's website.

"As the sponsor of Blondie’s research collar, we are dismayed and angered by this development. That Blondie’s prominent collar did not prevent him from being offered to a hunting client, confirms the stark reality that no lion is safe from trophy hunting guns," Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley said. "He was a breeding male in his prime, making a mockery of the ethics that ZPGA regularly espouses and the repeated claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.”

Blondie was the last known descendant of the Somadada pride.