'Lion King' Animator Pays Tribute to Cecil

Cecil, the lion killed in Zimbabwe last month, is getting a tribute fit for a king.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Blaise, animator of classic Disney characters from films including "The Lion King," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas" and "Beauty and the Beast" has created a tribute image of Cecil the lion.

Cecil was murdered by American big game hunter Walter James Palmer when he was lured out a wildlife sanctuary then shot with an arrow from a crossbow. Wounded, he was tracked and killed some 40 hours later with a rifle. His head and skin were removed as trophies; only his skeleton was found by park officials. His tracking collar was also missing.

"As you may be able to tell I am a HUGE animal lover and it drives me crazy when I see these beautiful creatures destroyed for no good reason," Aaron Blaise told the Hollywood Reporter.

"The image of Cecil looming large in the sky above three other lions is accompanied by a quote from 'The Lion King' in which Simba's father, Mufasa, tells him: 'Look at the stars. The great kings from the past look down upon us from those stars,'" the THR added.

"'It's not much,' writes Blaise, 'but hopefully it will make people think.'"

He also released a time-lapse video that reveals the making of the digital image on his personal website.