– ‘Iconic’ animal –
Cecil, aged about 13, was described by safari operators as an “iconic” animal recognised by many visitors to Hwange due to his distinctive black mane.
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.
It alleged Palmer’s first shot did not kill the lion, which was eventually shot dead 40 hours later.
Palmer is well-known in US hunting circles as an expert shot with his bow and arrow.
His kill list of 43 different animals also includes a polar bear, mountain lion, an elephant and an African lion he killed in 2005, according to club records obtained by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
His Twitter and Facebook accounts and website of his dental practice – in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota – were shut down after being flooded with blistering attacks.
A makeshift memorial formed outside his shuttered office as people outraged by the story dropped off stuffed animals and flowers.
Hwange national park attracted 50,000 visitors last year, about half of them from abroad.
Some hunting of lions and other large animals is legal in countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, where permits are issued allowing hunters to kill certain beasts.
It is outlawed, however, in Zimbabwe’s national parks.
Bronkhurst, whose son Zane is being sought for questioning, was ordered by the judge to report to a police station three times a week and surrender his passport.
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