--- title: Cecil the Lion Halloween Costume Defended by Creator description: Controversial Halloween costumes for 2015 are just beginning to roll out canonical: https://time.com/4010679/cecil-the-lion-halloween-costume/ author: ashley Ross article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-25T22:46:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:05.873Z og:title: Cecil the Lion Halloween Costume Creator Defends Controversy og:description: "Maybe our money has Cecil's blood on it" og:url: https://time.com/4010679/cecil-the-lion-halloween-costume/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43a4e081167d73e2/69885ea7e20a87dc65a8caeb/ap_463227356214.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: Cecil the Lion Halloween Costume Creator Defends Controversy twitter:description: "Maybe our money has Cecil's blood on it" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43a4e081167d73e2/69885ea7e20a87dc65a8caeb/ap_463227356214.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Cecil the Lion Halloween Costume Creator Defends Controversy > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. by [ashley Ross](https://time.com/author/ashley-ross/) ## ashley Ross Aug 25, 2015 10:46 PM UTC  Cecil the lion rests in Hwange National Park in Hwange, Zimbabwe Cecil the lion rests in Hwange National Park in Hwange, Zimbabwe Andy Loveridge—AP by [ashley Ross](https://time.com/author/ashley-ross/) ## ashley Ross Aug 25, 2015 10:46 PM UTC Costume companies are already out in full force defending their inevitable controversial Halloween offerings, and it’s not even September. The inevitable [Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume debacle](http://time.com/4008714/caitlyn-jenner-halloween-costumes/) began Monday, with Spirit Halloween commenting on its sale, a representative calling Jenner “the most important real-life superhero of the year.” Now there’s a costume based on Cecil the Lion, the famed lion who was killed by American dentist Walter James Palmer in July. The costume, sold on [Costumeish.com](http://www.costumeish.com/products/costumes%20), is called “Lion Killer Dentist Halloween Costume” and is described as follows: --- > “” --- Johnathon Weeks, the 33-year-old Founder and Vice President of the company selling the costume, told TIME that Costumeish has a search engine to gauge what people are searching for when it comes to costumes. “Cecil was coming up, and just like with many of the other ones, like the Ebola or the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge costumes, we see the trend from users,” he says. “Halloween is a really tricky day and you see some of the costumes come about and it’s almost like desensitizing things.” The company is advertising that 15% of all proceeds from the costume will go to a wildlife foundation, and Weeks said he was approached by the African Wildlife Foundation at the time of TIME’s interview. “Maybe our money has Cecil’s lion’s blood on it,” he said. “I’m not here to offend anybody, I’m just here to keep things questionable. We’re just in the very beginning of this Halloween season. There’s more to come.” What else is to come will be dictated by the news cycle in the 10 weeks leading up to the holiday, Weeks says. “We have a Jared costume that comes with a Subway sandwich, Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Ashley Madison, \[Josh\] Duggar,” he says. And a Megyn Kelly menstruation themed costume isn’t out of the question either. “Where do you draw the line? I don’t know. I won’t make a toddler ISIS costume.” ### 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. 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