Cecil the Lion was being observed for a study through Oxford using a GPS tracking collar when he poached by an American dentist and a team of hunting guides.

Jimmy Kimmel gave a moving speech about it during his show and called for people to donate to the Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit in honor of Cecil, and they did.

If you haven't seen Kimmel's speech, here it is. He describes Cecil's murder, so be warned if you're sensitive to animal deaths.

So far, donations have reached $150,000 dollars.

Oxford professor and WCRU director David Macdonald put a statement on the website:

"...thank you: for an organization that depends on philanthropy we are deeply grateful for this support – it will be a wonderful monument to Cecil the lion if we are empowered by these donation to continue and to increase our conservation work. The email deluge is overwhelming us, so we cannot reply individually, but we thank you sincerely."

This won't bring Cecil or any of the other animals hunted as trophies back, but it's a positive step forward.

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