Zimbabwe partially lifts ban on big game hunting around Cecil the lion's park

Zimbabwe has partially lifted a ban on big game hunting around Hwange National Park, which was imposed this month after an international outcry over the killing of Cecil the lion by a U.S. dentist which sparked international outrage.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority said in an undated statement seen by Reuters on Tuesday that the ban remained in place for two private game parks and rural communities near the park. In the areas where it has been lifted, all lion, leopard and elephant hunts must be supervised by park staff.

The hunt provoked worldwide outrage when it emerged that Cecil was a well-known attraction among visitors to the Hwange National Park and was wearing a tracking collar as part of an Oxford University research project.

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The trial of professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst, who led the expedition that killed Cecil the lion, was postponed until September 28.

Bronkhorst, who runs a safari company, denies any wrongdoing over the hunt in early July when Walter Palmer, a dentist from the American state of Minnesota, paid $55,000 (50,000 euros) to shot the lion with a bow and arrow.

Palmer, an experienced trophy hunter, became the target of vicious abuse and death threats over the killing, and went into hiding after demonstrations outside his dental practice.

He apologised for killing Cecil, who was renowned for his distinctive black mane, and blamed Bronkhorst for misleading him.

But Bronkhorst said that he was innocent of all charges and had obtained the permits required to kill an elderly lion that was outside the national park boundaries.

Hunting tourism brings about $40 million (37 million euros) a year into Zimbabwe.