There are several countries where you can legally hunt lions including, disturbingly, this one. Several local populations of lions are actually to high for their territorries. In Zaire a few years ago you could buy a permit to shoot a lion for around $8000 dollars, most of which went to support well digging programs, power generaters, schools, and even a little cash for each house hold in the district.
The odd thing here is that you didn't pick which lion you shot. The game control office for the district did and picked those that had become problems, were past breeding, damaged, or surplus to the supportable population. They do this with all the wildlife in the non park areas and it gives the locals a financial stake in the animals and unlike most areas of africa they are very quick to turn in poachers. The program, called CAMPFIRE works and areas that use it are seeing a strong come back in both wild life #s and diversity.
I, however would not hunt any big cat, I like their skins better while they are wearing them.
In this country there are a few "game parks" where you can buy a canned hunt, a guide will drive you to shooting distance to an animal, usually baited, often drugged, sometimes bought from circuses and small zoos, and there you shoot them, have someone else skin them, have somebody mount them, and then take them home to brag about to your other wealthy, lazy, fat a***d buddies. Ranting? Who me?