Remembering Mopane the Lion King – The Tragic Trophy Hunt of Hwange’s Pride Leader

LionExpose
Aug 8
3 min read

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Remembering Mopane

MOPANE. LION KING

We remember Mopane. Lion King of Hwange...

Mopane was killed in a Trophy Hunt on the 5th August 2021.Mopane was lured and baited onto Ndlovu's notorious "Lion Killing Fields", Antoinette Farm, where Cecil had been killed.

Remembering Mopane the Lion

A Local Legend of Hwange

Mopane was well-known for his stature and incredible mane, and sought out by photographers worldwide.

Mopane was a local legend. There were signs in the main camp area of Hwange warning people of Mopane! The inquisitive Lion King would sometimes chase after people's cars, and he was often seen along the railway lines.

Dominance and Pride Leadership

Mopane was approximately 12 years old, yet he remained dominant and was the last remaining male from a powerful coalition with Lion King Sidhule.Mopane sired many cubs and had two distinct prides – The Somadada pride and an offshoot of the Guvulava pride.

The Aftermath of Mopane’s Death

After Mopane was killed, he left eight cubs and two lionesses leaderless. Usually, with prides, when a dominant male is outed or dies, his cubs are quickly targeted and usually killed by incoming males.A few weeks after Mopane was killed, we received tragic news that one of Mopane's lionesses was feeding on a snared Sable, and she was killed.

Tex and the Scattered Pride

The lioness was the Mother of a young lion named Tex. Her sister (the other Lioness left behind after Mopane's killing) had fled separately with some of the cubs.

The Hunt for Mopane

The hunt was “led by” Professional Hunter Dennis Nyakane of Dingazulu Safaris, Zimbabwe. The hunt was organised by Lion Killer firm, the notorious Chattaronga Safaris. Mopane was bow hunted but managed to escape. The hunters tracked Mopane for over thirteen hours and finished him off with a bullet.

Naming the Killers

On Twitter you will see tweets from that time where we shared info on the hunt for Mopane's killer.Chattaronga Safaris is based in Tzaneen; they worked in partnership with Professional Hunter Dennis Nyakane of Dinguzulu Safaris (ZAT HOP 0257), land owner Honest Ndlovu, and Renius (tag negotiator), all of Zimbabwe – together they plotted to kill Mopane.

Legal but Controversial

While the hunt was legal under Zimbabwean regulations – allowing hunting of lions over the age of six – it drew intense criticism, fragmenting people while cruelly destroying the pride.

LionExpose Investigation

LionExpose named Phillip Smith, an American physiotherapist and Trophy Hunter, as Mopane's killer. Our original tweet, written close to midnight after intense cross checking, included Smith's passport details and address. We decided to tweet it. That tweet was subsequently removed by legal action from Smith's legal team four months later.

Public Exposure

However, it was seen and publicized. Smith was confronted outside his office in Missouri. Mopane's killing added to the high number of famous photographic lions that have been Trophy Hunted outside Hwange. Many of these lions were collared...