A little perspective on the reality of the world in which the Cecil the lion story played out.  Despite his notoriety, Cecil was a wild lion, not a cartoon and not a pet.  He was an apex predator and this could have been his story.A 40-year-old safari guide was killed on Monday (August 24th) while protecting a walking safari tour he was leading in the Zimbabwe park where Cecil the lion lived until he was killed in an illegal hunt last month.

The victim was Quinn Swales, an experienced professional guide, who was leading a group of tourists in Hwange National Park when a male lion unexpectedly charged them.

Swales was able to protect the tourists, none of whom were hurt, but he was mauled to death by the lion. News 24 in South Africa said that the last photo Swales posted on Facebook, on August 10th, was of Cecil.

Wild animals are just that-wild and you NEVER know what they might do.

MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images
MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images
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