--- title: Cecil the Lion: Jimmy Kimmel's Call for Donations Next Over $150,000 description: The late night host's emotional segment paid off in a big way for Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. canonical: https://time.com/3978310/jimmy-kimmels-cecil-the-lion/ author: Eric Dodds article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-30T12:28:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:29:30.231Z og:title: Jimmy Kimmel's Plea for Cecil the Lion Nets Over $150,000 og:description: The late night host's emotional segment paid off in a big way. og:url: https://time.com/3978310/jimmy-kimmels-cecil-the-lion/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4ddab20f36baace/69885d240a4a2252f69c5639/cecil-the-lion1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3120 og:image:height: 1755 og:image:alt: Cecil the lion og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jimmy Kimmel's Plea for Cecil the Lion Nets Over $150,000 twitter:description: The late night host's emotional segment paid off in a big way. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4ddab20f36baace/69885d240a4a2252f69c5639/cecil-the-lion1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Jimmy Kimmel's Plea for Cecil the Lion Leads to More than $150,000 in Donations > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b91a7dfb-1108-4169-aaa3-c8fa8b0e665c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Jimmy Kimmel Chokes Up Talking About Cecil The Lion [Watch (HLS stream): Jimmy Kimmel Chokes Up Talking About Cecil The Lion](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bKs2am6H.m3u8) (1:20)  _Published 2015-07-29. Funny man Jimmy Kimmel got pretty serious in a monologue about a lion killed in Zimbabwe. He choked up calling for viewers to turn the incident into a positive by donating to the researchers who were tracking Cecil._ by [Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Jul 30, 2015 12:28 PM UTC by [Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Jul 30, 2015 12:28 PM UTC When late night host Jimmy Kimmel made an [emotional plea](http://time.com/3976423/jimmy-kimmel-cecil-lion-hunt/) on his show on Tuesday night that the death of 13-year-old Zimbabwean lion Cecil not be in vain, an outpouring of support was to be expected, but the magnitude of that generosity proved remarkable. According to [_The Wrap_](http://www.thewrap.com/cecil-the-lion-plea-on-jimmy-kimmel-rakes-in-over-150k-in-donations/), Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit—whose website was flashed on the screen for 25 seconds at the end of Kimmel’s segment on Cecil the Lion—netted more than $150,000 donations from 2,600 people in less than 24 hours. The unit had been responsible for tracking Cecil’s whereabouts until his untimely demise. “Jimmy Kimmel implored his millions of listeners in the U.S.A. to make donations to support our work on lions, and conservation more widely,” Wildlife Conservation Research Unit director David McDonald said on the organization’s website. “We are so grateful for this and for the up-welling of support for our work worldwide.” Cecil the Lion was killed on July 1 by American dentist Walter Palmer and two local guides. Palmer has been on the receiving end of mass vitriol from [PETA](http://time.com/3976578/peta-cecil-lion/), [celebrities](http://time.com/3978108/walter-palmer-cecil-the-lion-celebrities/) and social media users. ### Here Are Famous People Posing With Animals They've Killed  After serving as President of the United States in 1909, Teddy Roosevelt went on an 11-month, 2,500-mile safari. The expedition was funded as a scientific expedition by the Smithsonian Institution, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Association. On the trip, Roosevelt trapped or shot over 11,000 animals, including elephants, hippos, and white rhinos. Corbis  Prince Harry crouches over a water buffalo he shot and killed in South America in 2004. © SIPA/REX  Troy Gentry, of the country singing duo Montgomery Gentry, killed this captive black bear in Minnesota in October 2004\. He was sentenced to three months of probation and a $15,000 fine and was banned from hunting in Minnesota for five years.  Donald Trump, Jr., posing with a buffalo in Zimbabwe during a safari trip in 2012. Hunting Legends Africa  Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump, posing with a buffalo in Zimbabwe during a safari trip in 2012. Hunting Legends Africa  Justin Tuck, defensive end for the Oakland Raiders, told Outdoor Life about his enjoyment of the challenge of bow hunting. He also discussed his big game trip to Africa, where he shot a hartebeest, zebra, wildebeest, hyena and water buffalo.  Glenn McGrath, Australian international cricketer, posing with an elephant in Zimbabwe during a safari trip in 2008. Hunting Legends Africa  Miranda Lambert poses with a deer. She also was shown to kill an Alligator during an appearance on the Sportsman Channel's "Country Boys Outdoors,” in 2010. \[[_The Wrap_](http://www.thewrap.com/cecil-the-lion-plea-on-jimmy-kimmel-rakes-in-over-150k-in-donations/)\] ## Transcript Funny man Jimmy Kimmel got pretty serious in a monologue about a lion killed in Zimbabwe. An American killed the animal. So these douchebag buddies can gather around and drink scotch and tell him how awesome he is, that's just vomitous. Authorities in Zimbabwe are searching for a Minnesota dentist who they say killed Cecil the lion. An iconic animal that lived at Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said that Walter James Palmer, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, paid a professional hunter $ 50, 000 to take him hunting. It also reported Palmer and the professional hunter, Theo Bronchorst, lured Cecil out of the park, injured him, and then finally killed the lion 40 hours later. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Palmer issued a statement saying " I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt ." Kimmell stressed not to lash out at Palmer but rather turn the story into a positive by donating to the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, which was tracking Cecil. And he got choked up doing it. You want to make this into a positive, you could, sorry. I, ok I'm good. As you can expect from a seasoned professional, Kimmel recovered and finished his set. 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