03-08-2015 15:00

An American dentist came to Zimbabwe and shot a lion. The 13 year-old lion was collared. That means that he was under surveillance. His name was Cecil and he was a local celebrity.

Two people helped the American kill the animal. If they are convicted, they’ll have to pay $20,000 and they might go to prison. The dentist, who said that he was sorry for killing the animal, may face poaching charges.

Lions are not protected in Zimbabwe. Foreign hunters can buy a permit which lets them kill elephants, buffalos and lions. The killing of Cecil, however, was illegal.

Difficult words: surveillance (being watched), convict (to say officially that somebody is guilty of a crime), poach (to kill an animal illegally), charge (when the police say that you did something wrong).

You can read the original story and watch the video in the Level 3 section.