Much-loved Zimbabwean lion “Cecil”, pictured on October 21, 2012, was lured outside the Hwange National Park boundaries by bait and shot by a bow and arrow/AFP
Cecil the lion, a popular attraction among international visitors to Hwange National Park, was lured beyond the reserve’s boundaries by bait and killed earlier this month.
The hunter was identified as Walter Palmer, a dentist and experienced trophy hunter from Minnesota, who allegedly paid $50,000 for the hunt.
Professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst and local landowner Honest Ndlovu will appear in court in Hwange town on Wednesday to face poaching charges.
“Both the professional hunter and land owner had no permit or quota to justify the offtake of the lion and therefore are liable for the illegal hunt,” the Zimbabwean Parks Authority said in a statement Tuesday.
“(They) are being jointly charged for illegally hunting the lion.”
The statement made no mention of Palmer, but added that Bronkhorst’s son Zane was also wanted for questioning.
READ: 2 arrested after five elephants killed in Tsavo
Palmer issued a statement on Tuesday that suggested he had left Zimbabwe weeks ago.
“I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the US about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have,” he said, without revealing his whereabouts.
Palmer, who shot Cecil with a powerful bow and arrow, said he had “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 practise responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion,” he said.
“I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt.”
– Vitriolic anger –
Amid a fierce outpouring of anger, radical US animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for Palmer to be hanged.
“He needs to be extradited, charged, and, preferably, hanged,” Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA US, said in a statement.
“The photograph of this dentist, smiling over the corpse of another animal, who, like Cecil, wanted only to be left in peace, will disgust every caring soul in the world.”
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force charity said Palmer and Bronkhorst had gone out at night with a spotlight and tied a dead animal to their vehicle to lure Cecil into range.
“Palmer shot Cecil with a bow and arrow but this shot didn’t kill him. They tracked him down and found him 40 hours later when they shot him with a gun,” the charity alleged.
About The Author
