'Lion killer' dentist sought by the authorities

Friday, July 31, 2015, 12:23 PM - After days of online condemnation, the man who killed the famous Zimbabwean lion ‘Cecil’ is now wanted by Zimbabwean authorities.

Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil with a bow and arrow after the lion was lured out of Hwange National Park. Zimbabwean police have already arrested two people in connection with the lion’s death, and now the country’s environment minister has formally asked for Palmer’s extradition from the U.S.

"This must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all genuine, animal-loving conservationists who believe in sustainable utilization of natural resources,” Zimbabwe’s environment minister, Oppah Muchinguri, told CNN.

Neither the State Department or the Department of Justice commented on the request, but a spokesman for the latter department told CNN the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was investigating the lion’s death.

"That investigation will take us wherever the facts lead. At this point in time, however, multiple efforts to contact Dr. Walter Palmer have been unsuccessful," said Edward Grace, the Fish and Wildlife Service's deputy chief of law enforcement. "We ask that Dr. Palmer or his representative contact us immediately."

Palmer is essentially in hiding, but in a statement earlier this week, he expressed regret in the lion's death, but defended his role in the hunt.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt," Palmer's statement reads. "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

Widespread condemnation

A dentist from Minnesota, Palmer allegedly paid $55,000 to track and kill the 13-year-old animal. But the cost of hunting the exotic beast for sport has already cost Palmer much more than the initial permit fee.

In the days since his revelation, a steady onslaught of angry comments and threats have been hurled at Palmer online and in person. Social media has been the battleground for opinion and on Wednesday actor and activist Mia Farrow tweeted the address to Palmer's office, drawing both praise and criticism from her 656,000-plus Twitter followers. Farrow tweeted: #‎CecilTheLion‬ -Gentle protector of 6 cubs. Loved by many. Killed by Dentist Walter Palmer ... before posting his full office address. 

Late night talk shows have also reserved time to discuss the headline-making hunter, with Jimmy Kimmel tearing up during an emotional monologue. 

On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters appeared at the doors of Palmer's dental clinic in Bloomington, including some of his own patients, bearing signs and chanting "Justice for Cecil."

In a letter to his current patients, Palmer stated that the dental office will be closed until further notice. His company website and Facebook page have also been taken down after being flooded with enraged feedback from the online community.

Within the same day, the public relations company representing Palmer since the controversy began announced that they were terminating their relationship.

Since releasing a public statement on Tuesday, Palmer has all but disappeared from the public eye.

On July 1, Cecil the lion was lured away from his home in a national park, shot and decapitated by hunters.

Recognized by his signature black mane, the lion known as Cecil was a favourite attraction among locals and tourists in Hwange National Park. But the lord of the animal kingdom met a grisly demise, after he was struck and left for dead in the African wilderness.

With the help of local guides, Palmer used bait to lure the protected lion away from the reserve, tying a dead animal to a vehicle and dragging it for over a kilometre. He then shot the animal using a crossbow.

Cecil suffered from his wounds for more than 40 hours, before hunters tracked down the injured cat, shooting him to death using a rifle. 

Cecil's body was found with the head and skin removed.

Officials have confirmed that the lion was killed and found outside of the park on private land. 

Cecil was wearing a GPS collar as part of a research project with Oxford University, making it possible to trace his last movements. It is illegal to hunt protected lions in Zimbabwe, and to hunt at night in Hwange National Park.

The grim discovery prompted an investigation that has led to the identification of Palmer as Cecil's slayer, and the capture of two Zimbabwean men who aided in the hunt. 

On Wednesday, the men arrested for illegally hunting the protected lion appeared in a Zimbabwe court to face possible poaching charges. One of the men accused of helping the American tourist hunt and kill Cecil the lion, is a professional hunter named Theo Bronkhorst. He was released on $1,000 bail. If formally charged, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

The other man arrested in the case, farmer Honest Trymore Ndlovu, has not been charged and was released from custody.

Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement that the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, and that the professional hunter's license has been suspended and the trophy from the lion hunt has been confiscated.

The president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that Palmer is wanted for the death of Cecil.

A public call to action in the form of a petition to the White House calls for the extradition of Palmer to Zimbabwe to face charges. The petition has collected nearly 150,000 signatures, and once it reaches this number, the governing body is obligated to make an official response.

Another online petition has racked up more than 800,000 signatures since it was launched on July 23, imploring Zimbabwean President Robert Gabriel Mugabe to stop issuing hunting permits that allow tourists to kill endangered animals.

Celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and others shared their grief and outrage on Twitter, using the quickly trending hashtag #CecilTheLion.

In addition to the countless ripples that the news of Cecil's death has caused across the globe, the more immediate effects of his death could prove devastating for the living members of his pride.

According to the Zimbabwe Conservation Force, now that Cecil is gone, his offspring will likely be killed by the next male lion in the pride to assume his place, in order to assert new bloodlines within the group.

SOURCES: CNN | BBC | USA Today