Cecil the Lion has taken over the Internet — in life and in death. And now even "The Terminator" has something to say about it:
"Stop killing big cats," actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote on his Facebook page.
"Killing a lion isn't ballsy," he went on. "Joining the military — that's ballsy. Try that before you kill a lion."
He urged his followers to donate to National Geographic's "High 5, Give $5" campaign to save endangered big cats.
Cecil, a very popular lion in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, was baited and lured out of his habitat and was shot, beheaded and skinned July 1 by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer.
Palmer, who paid $50,000 for the hunt, has taken major heat online — with trending hashtags such as #justiceforCecil — and has since closed the doors to his practice to protect his patients from the uproar and gone into seclusion.
Two Zimbabweans, Theo Bronchorst, a professional hunter, and Honest Trymore Ndlovu, a landowner, who aided the hunt were arrested and charged Wednesday with ailing to prevent the unlawful killing of Cecil, but were later released on $1,000 bond each. They could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted.
Schwarzenegger's new entreaty has struck a chord on social media. One Facebook user commented: "When Arnold tells you to stop killing lions, you f---ing stop killing lions!!!!"