The Obama administration is moving to investigate the death of Cecil The Lion, in reaction to the online uproar over the news that the huge African cat was killed by an American dentist.
Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dan Ashe tweeted an update to the world moments ago, asserting that they were moving to investigate the “tragic killing.”
The Department website is currently down, either due to a technical glitch or a sudden surge in traffic.
In Zimbabwe, however, citizens are confused at the ruckus the death of the lion has caused.
“Are you saying that all this noise is about a dead lion? Lions are killed all the time in this country,” said Tryphina Kaseke, a used-clothes hawker in Zimbabwe in an interview with Reuters. “What is so special about this one?”
During the White House press briefing yesterday, Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz admitted that he didn’t know if the president was aware of the story, but added that “it wouldn’t surprise me that he’s aware of it” from news reports.