However, it is estimated that 34 percent of U.S. states have passed laws allowing the gleaning of roadkill. Alternatives and reactions Cecil the lion When Cecil the lion was killed in Africa in summer 2015 by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer it caused a worldwide commotion. Palmer went into hiding when it was alleged that his guides and he had lured Cecil out of a Zimbabwe animal preserve at which point Palmer admittedly shot Cecil with an arrow. Cecil ran off wounded for 40 hours before Palmer's guides found Cecil, admittedly shot him, and decapitated him, leaving Cecil's head and tracking collar behind. Palmer later broke silence to say he was heartbroken over the pain he had caused his dental staff. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights group founded in America and is based in Norfolk, Virginia. It is led by Ingrid Newkirk. It claims to have 3million members and supporters, which would make it the largest animal rights group in the world. Its slogan is "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." Veganism and vegetarianism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of all animal products, particularly in diet. Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects and the flesh of any other animal and may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter). Vegetarians, however, may consume eggs, dairy products and honey. Ahimsa Ahimsa is an important tenet of three Indian-origin religions (Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism). Ahimsa is a multidimensional concept, inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine spiritual energy; therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. Ahimsa has also been related to the notion that any violence has karmic consequences. See also Animal ethics Animal law Animal rights Animal welfare Cannibalism Carnism Chick culling Cruelty to animals No-kill shelter Poaching Unclean animal References Further reading External links Slaughter & Stunning. European Commission. Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Government of the United Kingdom.