8 Major Wins For Animals Since Cecil The Lion Was Killed One Year Ago

July 1, 2016 marks a year since Cecil the lion was killed by trophy-hunting American dentist Walter Palmer. Cecil had reportedly been lured out of the protected Hwange National Park before he was killed.  In the weeks following Cecil's death, Zimbabwe's beloved black-maned lion was mourned all over the world, sparking new debate about how people treat animals.  Luckily, the debate did not subside and go forgotten, but escalated, marking a new era in human concern for animal welfare — and wildlife, in particular.

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Why Do European Zoos Kill Healthy Animals?

On Thursday, the Odense Zoo in Denmark is scheduled to dissect a lion for the educational benefit of children on school holidays.  The 9-month-old female lion was considered "surplus." Officials at Odense said they had too many female lions. And they also were concerned about inbreeding, according to reports. The lion was offered to other zoos, but when no takers were found she was killed and stored in a freezer earlier this year.

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What Happens to the Animals When the Circus Leaves Town?

Smith was destined for execution. The lion had already been castrated, declawed, separated from his mate, Amazonas, and caged with another male’s offspring. He was agitated. Then one day in August 2014, during a circus performance in Peru, as he sat perched on a pedestal above a spectator’s head, which was lowered, exposing the back of her neck, the trainer commanded Smith to jump, and his natural instinct prevailed. He pounced on the audience member, grabbing her in his jaws and dragging her around the ring until a handler beat Smith into submission and forced him back into a cage.

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Video: Lion Forms Amazing Bond with Conservationists

Valentin Gruener and Mikkel Legarth play with Sirga as if she were a family pet. But while she is not a pet, Sirga is considered part of the family, as much as a lion can be part of a human family.  It is a touching bond that stretches back to when the two men rescued Sirga as a cub deep in the African bush and became the animal’s surrogate parents.

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Oh, Don’t Mind Our Pet Lion

You’ve been looking at the home of actress Tippi Hedren in California, photographed by LIFE magazine during the early 1970s. Best-known for her role in Hitchcock’s The Birds, Tippi is also the mother of actress Melanie Griffith (Working Girl), who is the little girl you just saw lying in bed with a lion, and also above with her head in its mouth.

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Lion, Tiger and Bear Become Pals

Oh my! At Noah’s Ark, a wild animal rescue center in Georgia, Baloo the black bear, Leo the lion and Shere Kahn the Bengal tiger are unlikely friends. The three, who were rescued from drug dealers 12 years ago when they were cubs, spend their days together in a small pen, where they cuddle and play ball.

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Video: Lioness Gives Birth To Tigon Cubs In China

There is nothing more adorable than a litter of newborn baby animals, but these cubs are special for another reason beyond their cuteness. According to the Associated Press, a lioness in China has given birth to two lion-tiger crossbreeds and one purebred lion in the same litter, marking a world first.

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Lion Cub And Toddler Play Together

Forget guard dogs, lion cubs are the new way to protect your children in their crib. Well, maybe not, but some parents seem to feel it's safe.

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Initial Deadline to Protect African Lions Missed

Yesterday marked the passing of the 90-day deadline for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make its initial response to a petition seeking protection for African lions under the Endangered Species Act.

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