Man who killed Zimbabwe’s most famous lion revealed

A US dentist who killed a lion
in Zimbabwe says he regrets
shooting the well-known
animal and insists that he
thought he was on a legal
hunt.
Police in Zimbabwe have
arrested two people over the
death of Cecil, the country's
most famous lion, and say
Mr Palmer may also face
poaching charges.
But Mr Palmer, from
Minnesota, said he relied on
professional guides to find a
lion and obtain the necessary
permits.
He also said he only found
out the lion's identity at the
end of the hunt.
The American tourist, who is
believed to have paid about $
50,000 (£32,000) to go on the
hunt, is said to have shot the
animal with a crossbow and
rifle.
It was later skinned and
beheaded, according to the
Zimbabwe Conservation Task
Force (ZCTF), a local charity.
Two Zimbabwean men - a
professional hunter and a
farm owner - have been
charged with poaching
offences because the group
did not have a hunting
permit.
They could face up to 15
years in prison in Zimbabwe
if they are found guilty. They
are due to appear in court on
Wednesday.
'An activity I love'
But Mr Palmer, who is
thought to be back in the US,
insisted that his guides had
secured "all proper permits"
for the hunt.
"I relied on the expertise of
my local professional guides
to ensure a legal hunt," he
said in a statement on
Tuesday.
He said he had not been
contacted by authorities in
Zimbabwe or the US but said
he "will assist them in any
inquiries they may have".
"Again, 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
The dental practice run by Mr
Palmer was closed on
Tuesday and a note was
placed on the door referring
visitors to a public relations
firm, according to local press.
The practice's Facebook page
was removed from the site
after being besieged by angry
comments and the company
website was also taken down.
Zimbabwe, like many African
countries, is battling to curb
illegal hunting and poaching
which threatens to make
some of its wildlife extinct.
The 13-year-old lion was a
major tourist attraction at the
country's famous Hwange
National Park.
Night-time pursuit
He is believed to have been
killed on 1 July but the
carcass was not discovered
until a few days later.
The ZCTF said the hunters
had used bait to lure him
outside Hwange National
Park during a night-time
pursuit.
Mr Palmer is said to have
shot Cecil with a crossbow,
injuring the animal. The
group didn't find the
wounded lion until 40 hours
later, when he was shot dead
with a gun.
The animal had a GPS collar
fitted for a research project
by UK-based Oxford
University that allowed
authorities to track its
movements. The hunters tried
to destroy it, but failed,
according to the ZCTF.
On Monday, the head of the
ZCTF told the BBC that Cecil
"never bothered anybody"
and was "one of the most
beautiful animals to look at".
The six cubs of Cecil will now
be killed by the new male lion
in the pride, Johnny
Rodrigues added, in order to
encourage the lionesses to
mate with him.
"That's how it works... it's in
the wild. It's nature taking its
course," he added.
About a century ago there
were around 200,000 lions
roaming across Africa but
that figure has dropped to
less than 30,000 in recent
years.
Hunting lions is legal in
several countries in southern
Africa, including Zimbabwe,
but groups must obtain a
valid permit from authorities.
source: African leadership magazine