'We exposed the killing of Cecil the lion by dentist Walter Palmer - we had to flee our homes'

The son of the man who exposed the scandal around the slaughter of the much loved lion Cecil - and the identity of his killer - urged the government toban trophy hunting imports into the UK.

Shane Rodrigues and his father Johnny blew the whistle on American dentist Walter Palmer, who brutally killed Cecil in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

This week marks 10 years since he was deliberately lured out of a protected area. Fatally wounded, Cecil, the 13-year-old leader of two prides, was left to suffer for hours until he was found and finally killed the following day. His tracking collar was removed and hidden by the hunting party in an attempt to conceal the fact that they’d killed a prominent lion who was being monitored as part of a research project.

Shane, 42, has spoken for the first time to the Mirror about the ordeal that shocked the world, and sent the American recreational big-game hunter into hiding.

READ MORE: Brit-born hunter 'normalised killing animals for fun' with bloodthirsty brags

Backing our campaign to end trophy hunting imports, he said: ”An extraordinary international chorus of condemnation followed. It also led to credible death threats from powerful vested interests. I, my mother Cheryl - who co-founded the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force with Johnny - and my sister and brother-in-law had to flee our home and leave the country.

My parents have now sadly passed away but I am working to fulfil their legacy. “

Cecil was shot with a crossbow and rifle, before being beheaded and skinned. Johnny, then the head of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said the use of a bow and arrow heralded a new trend aimed at avoiding arrest. "It's more silent. If you want to do anything illegal, that's the way to do it," he said at the time.

But the lion, which had a distinctive black mane, did not die immediately and was followed for more than 40 hours before it was shot with a rifle, Mr Rodrigues said. The animal had a GPS collar for a research project by UK-based Oxford University, allowing authorities to track its movements.

A year after the incident, Shane explained how his family was forced to leave Zimbabwe. He said: “We made the decision to leave in late 2016 because we were tipped off that the whole family was placed on a hit list by a top politician at the time for exposing his involvement in a very serious and sensitive rhino horn and ivory trade case. It was heartbreaking to have to say goodbye forever.”

More than 240,000 trophy items from species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have been exported globally since 2015. These include trophies from elephants, leopards, giraffes, and many more animals at risk of extinction.

In the UK, despite overwhelming public and political support for a ban and repeated promises from successive governments, the import of ‘sick’ hunting trophies continues. Since Cecil’s death, British hunters have legally brought in hundreds of trophies, including 99 from lions, to the country.

Shane, who now lives in The Algarve, Portugal, where he works as a mechanic, said: “It makes me very upset and angry that hunters still go to Africa. This has to change.

"Many countries implemented bans on Lion and other trophies after ‘Cecilgate’. Pledges were made by successive Defra Ministers too - but they failed to translate into action.

“At the General Election, Labour promised to implement the ban once and for all. I welcome this, and strongly urge you to announce a date. I know my parents will welcome it from above.”

Last night, celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley, parliamentarians and animal welfare campaigners, supported an event in Westminster, hosted by Ruth Jones MP for Newport West and Islwyn and organised by FOUR PAWS UK, Born Free and Humane World for Animals UK, to mark 10 years since Cecil the lion was killed.

FOUR PAWS UK Country Director, Sonul Badiani-Hamment said: "In the ten years since Cecil was killed, trophy hunting has continued, and thousands of the world’s most magnificent animals have met a similar fate - slaughtered for nothing more than a hunter’s gratification.

"Cecil’s death should have been the catalyst for change. Instead, the killing goes on with more animals reduced to ornaments, rugs or coffee tables by those who take pleasure in their suffering. We cannot afford to waste any more time. The Government must now act with urgency, honour its commitment, and finally deliver a ban on the import of hunting trophies into the UK.”

Dame Joanna Lumley, Born Free Patron added: "The brutal, senseless killing of Cecil a decade ago shocked and enraged me as it shocked and enraged the world. A proud, beautiful creature murdered for ‘sport’ in a display of senseless cruelty. It was an act of barbarism emblematic of the utterly grim and outdated practice of trophy hunting. We need a ban on the import of hunting trophies here in Britain. Cecil’s death cannot be in vain."

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane World for Animals UK, said: “Since Cecil was killed, trophies from over 1,000 endangered and threatened animals have been destined for export to the UK. The Government must bring in a ban as promised, and stop British hunters shipping back hundreds more sick souvenirs.”

Earlier this week a delegation led by Eduardo Gonçalves including Masai leader Boniface Mpario marched to Downing Street to deliver a petition by LionAid which has amassed nearly a million signatures. Alongside it was a powerful open letter signed by an array of public figures including Sir Michael Caine, Catherine Zeta Jones, Sir Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Liam Gallagher, Cliff Richard, Dr Jane Goodall, Priscilla Presley and Chris Packham, calling on the UK government to act now.

Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said: “It would have been bad enough if Cecil was just a horrible one-off. He wasn’t. Since Cecil was killed, 10,000 more lions have been shot by trophy hunters. Every year, tens of thousands of endangered animals are gunned down for so-called sport. We are in an age of utter insanity. What are we doing killing so many wild animals?!”