The once-popular Beanie Baby is now taking on a serious topic: wildlife conservation; and the company that made the stuffed animals is using the cuddly toy to shine a light and raise money for it.
According to a press release by Ty Inc., it has created a Beanie Baby Cecil the Lion with all of the profits going to WildCRU, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of the University of Oxford in England.
The research unit was the same one that had collared Cecil with a tracker and was studying the lion when he was illegally killed.
An American, Walter Palmer, is accused, but has not been charged with killing the lion illegally in Zimbabwe. Authorities in the African country are attempting to extradite Palmer. His two guides have been charged with the illegal hunt.
Palmer said he paid approximately $50,000 for permits for a legal hunt, the "Today" show reported.
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