‘Lion King’ Artist Creates Incredibly Moving Portrait Of Cecil The Lion

Now, a veteran Disney animator has crafted a touching memorial to the beloved lion.

Aaron Blaise released the following sketch on his website depicting Cecil in the clouds as lions look up at him from the ground below.

A Disney artist who helped illustrate iconic 1990s film The Lion King has posted a moving animated tribute to the famous African lion Cecil killed by a US dentist.

The sad story of Cecil the Lion has reverberated around the world, as fans mourn the death of one of Africa’s best-known lions. A self-proclaimed animal lover, Blaise decided that he needed to do something to help the current fundraising efforts for WildCRU, the animal conservation research unit at the University of Oxford. When I heard the news about Cecil I got inspired to create a tribute image.

Mr Palmer (left) posing with Cecil’s body after the hunt. “The great kings of the past look down upon us from those stars”. The tribute includes a quote from The Lion King said by Simba’s father Mufasa. “I’m 45 years old now and I find myself back in the head of a 12-year-old running through the woods”, he writes.

Aaron Blaise posted a time-lapse recording of his work on the digital project, which features an image of Cecil in the heavens watched by his Earthbound descendants.

What do you think of Aaron’s tribute?