Zimbabwean authorities say that a Minnesota dentist is responsible for slaying one of the country's most beloved lions.
On Tuesday, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie, Minn., paid at least $50,000 to track and kill the animal.
The conservation group and Zimbabwean authorities said that Palmer ultimately killed, Cecil, a protected lion and one of the most famous animals at the Hwange National Park. Cecil was fitted with a GPS collar and tracked by the Oxford University research program, according to a statement from Johnny Rodrigues, the chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.
On Tuesday, Palmer said in a statement, "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal 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 said, according to CBS. "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."
He added, according to the statement, that he had not been contacted by authorities but would work with them.
According to police spokeswoman Charity Charamba, Palmer will face charges of poaching, the AP reported. Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said that Palmer's whereabouts are currently unknown.
The conservation group alleges that Palmer worked with the guides to lure Cecil from the national park to an unprotected area by strapping a "dead animal to their vehicle."
Once the animal was off the national park land, Palmer allegedly shot Cecil with a bow and arrow, but did not kill him. The group then tracked the wounded animal for 40 hours, ultimately shooting and killing him, Rodrigues said. Cecil was skinned and beheaded.
"The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy...will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs so that he can insert his own bloodline into the females," Rodrigues said.
A stateside official expressed anger, too. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, in a statement late Tuesday called for an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see whether any U.S. laws were violated.
The two Zimbabwean men facing charges include a landowner and a professional hunter, according to a joint statement from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Safari Operators Association.
Neither of the men had a hunting permit, making the kill illegal, according to the statement.
Now:
I'm from the Deep South. I've grown up knowing that hunting is important and fun. I've gone hunting with my dad more times than I can remember. My 16th birthday present was a hunting rifle. I've been raised to know that hunting was something to be proud of.
However, we NEVER hunt for sport. I can promise you that any animal we hunt is for food. And the animals that we hunt are not endangered. They are not valuable to the community around them or the country as a whole. The deer population is overly-populated. As are ducks, quails, squirrels, or anything else we hunt.
What this man did was cruel. He had no intention of using the meat. He did it out of sheer sport. Likely the only reason he feels remorse is because he got caught. Not because he actually feels sorry for that poor animal.
I sincerely hope that he gets what is coming to him.
