Zimbabwe has lifted a hunting ban today that it imposed a mere 10 days ago following the death of Cecil the Lion.
The country suspended hunting on Aug. 1 in the area around Hwange National Park, where Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority revealed that less than two weeks after the incident, the ban was lifted across most of the area, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
However, parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo informed NBC News that the ban remains in place on farmland where Cecil died, as well as several other farms where officials claim that animals were killed illegally.
The exceptions to this rule will be reviewed following the trial of Theo Bronkhorst, the hunter who allegedly helped Palmer hunt Cecil. Bronkhorst told reporters he believed he had the right permits and did not break the law, according to USA Today. He faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.
Anyone convicted of illegal hunting would be blocked from getting permits for life, "as they tarnish the image of the hunting industry, the authority and the country at large," Washaya-Moyo said, adding that "their actions border on economic sabotage."
Now, all hunts would be subject to stricter rules, she added, with participants needing to be in the presence of national parks staff at all times. Additionally, they will be required to submit detailed reports of any and all kills they make, according to NBC News.
The hunting industry brings in more than $744 million each year, according to Voice of America, therefore money could be the reason why Zimbabwe was so quick to remove the hunting ban.
