Biopolitics in the National Parks: The Life and Death of Cecil the Lion

Cecil the Lion lived in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and was a part of an Oxford conservation study until his death by poaching, outside of Park boundaries, at the hands of an American hunter, in July 2015. Cecil’s death caused unique levels of international outrage, though wildlife poaching in general remains an all-too-ubiquitous phenomenon. This paper enquires as to why this particular death caused such outrage. I will examine this question through two Foucauldian lenses: first, through the Parks’ discursive production of subjects – human and nonhuman animal; and secondly, by investigating Parks’ practices of understanding biopower and pastoral power. I argue that though wildlife conservation in the National Parks is generally interested in conserving the species, not individuals, Cecil’s status as a named individual in a scientific study resulted in the outrage and speaks to the paradox at the heart of Foucault’s idea of pastoral power.