Lion King animator creates the perfect tribute to Cecil the Lion

A week on from the tragic shooting of Cecil the Lion, Zimbabwe's prized animal has been immortalised by Lion King animator Aaron Blaise in a moving tribute. Blaise created Disney animations for 21 years, working on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontus. But it was a line from The Lion King that inspired his illustration of 13-year-old Cecil who was lured off his reservation by US hunter Walter Palmer and shot and killed, sparking outrage around the world.

"As you may be able to tell I am a HUGE animal lover and it drives me crazy when I see these beautiful creatures destroyed for no good reason," wrote Blaise on his website. "In fact, I’ve decided to get personally involved and hopefully our efforts can help educate people and prevent these horrible things from happening in the future."