Endangered species rarely make headlines or become the subject of widespread debate, but the illegal poaching of superstar lions, the protected black-maned king of animals, Cecil, a trademark of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, has brought the world to its feet. The pain of losing him seems as great as the death of Mufasa in The Lion King for the children, except that it happened for real. The Discovery Channel used the public's attention to raise awareness about endangered species and illuminated the New York skyscraper Empire State Building with images of 160 endangered species, including the late Cecil the lion.