Beanie Babies Makes Cecil the Lion Toy as WildCRU Charity Fundraiser

Beanie Babies is making a special toy modeled after Cecil the lion, a lion that was killed in Zimbabwe last month by a Minnesota hunter sparking mass international outrage. The profits from the toy, being sold as a fundraiser, will go to the researchers who had been tracking Cecil.  All profits from sales of the Beanie Babies will go to the WildCRU, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of University of Oxford in England. WildCRU had been tracking Cecil since 2008.

The Beanie Baby is modeled after Cecil and has his signature dark mane. It will be sold for $5.99.

Ty Warner introduces Cecil™ the Lion Beanie Baby®. All proceeds will go to WildCRU: https://t.co/EjhFInW9Y0 pic.twitter.com/nXVeos2PNw

— Ty Inc (@TyInc) August 3, 2015

"Hopefully, this special Beanie Baby will raise awareness for animal conservation and give comfort to all saddened by the loss of Cecil," said Beanie Baby company founder and chairman Ty Warner.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, killed Cecil on July 2. Palmer allegedly paid $50,000 for a guide to bring him on the hunt, which ended with luring Cecil out of a protected wildlife reserve so he could shoot it with a bow and arrow.

Two men from Zimbabwe are facing charges for the killing and Palmer's extradition to Africa has been called for, according to USA Today.

Palmer has been receiving massive amounts of criticism for killing Cecil. People have slammed his Yelp page with negative reviews and left signs at his office. He released a statement where he said he believed the hunt was totally legal.

"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," Palmer said in the statement. "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

Jimmy Kimmel got emotional speaking about the hunt on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He told viewers to visit WildCRU's website and donate, and got choked up explaining why it's so important.

Since Cecil's death, tourists have been uploading videos from their visits to Africa and showing the world what Cecil was like when alive.