A so-called “animal psychic” is looking for her fifteen minutes of fame by claiming that she has been in contact with the spirit of Cecil, the lion who was killed by an American dentist in Zimbabwe last month.

The Daily Mail is reporting on the preposterous claims by self-proclaimed “animal communicator” Karen Anderson that she was able to contact the deceased lion.

“I just connected with Cecil the lion who was recently killed,” Anderson says on her Facebook page. “I wanted to let him know how loved and honored he is. I was moved to tears to hear his words. His message is profound. He said: ‘Let not the actions of these few men defeat us or allow darkness to enter our hearts. If we do then we become one of them. Raise your vibration and allow this energy to move us forward.”

Cecil sounds almost as New Age as Anderson who claims to be a specialist in speaking to the deceased pets of her clients. She charges $75 for a fifteen minute session with up to two animals. How well she does at this disreputable trade is up to the person with the wallet.

For example, in this rather unflattering article, which appears on The Spokesman-Review website, Anderson’s attempt to communicate with four of the author’s cats (two dead, two living). None of the animals seems very interested in talking with her and their supposed communications were less than remarkable.

Anderson, a one-time deputy sheriff in Bailey, Colorado, claims she has been able to communicate psychically with animals – both dead and alive – at a very young age. Her experienced in law enforcement enables her to serve as a “Evidential Medium” which means she tries to come up with evidence and obtain facts for her clients while in contact with deceased persons and pets.

For whatever reason, she wasn’t able to clarify anything about the death of Cecil who was apparently lured out of a game preserve by two hunters and shot with a crossbow. The animal survived the wound and was tracked for two days before the hunters once again caught up with him and shot him to death.

Instead of offering any further evidence about how the killing actually took place, Cecil merely told Anderson, “What happened does not need to be discussed as it is what it is.”

He then goes on to say: “Take heart my child, I am finer than ever, grander than before as no one can take our purity, our truth or our soul. Ever. I am here. Be strong and speak for all the others who suffer needlessly to satisfy human greed. Bring Light and Love and we will rise above this’."

All joking aside, whether she intends to or not, Anderson is capitalizing on the senseless death of a magnificent animal whose only crime was to be included on a list of wild game that some well-to-do hunters consider to be trophies.

Her 15 minutes of fame is more like fifteen minutes of shame.