USFWS investigation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces it is investigating Cecil’s killing.
We're investigating the killing of #CecilTheLion. Will go where facts lead. We ask Dr. Palmer or his rep to contact USFWS immediately.
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) July 30, 2015
Guides appear in court
Bronkhorst and his co-defendant, farm owner Honest Trymore Ndlovu, who were arrested for illegally hunting Cecil, appear in court. The Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, has revoked Bronkhurst’s license. Association President:
Ethics are certainly against baiting. Animals are supposed to be given a chance of a fair chase. In fact, it was not a hunt at all. The animal was baited and that is not how we do it. It is not allowed.
The proceedings are delayed because prosecutors are “making their assessments”. If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison in Zimbabwe. Later Bronkhurst is released on a $1000 bond.
Apologizes to customers
Palmer apologizes to his customers for having to close his dental practice. The practice has become a memorial to the lion, with red roses and more than a dozen stuffed animals laid outside the locked front door.
To my valued patients: As you may have already heard, I have been in the news over the last few days for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you. I want you to know of this situation and my involvement. In addition to spending time with my family, one of my passions outside dentistry is hunting. I’ve been a life-long hunter since I was a child growing up in North Dakota. I don’t often talk about hunting with my patients because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic. I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting.
Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion. That was never my intention. The media interest in this matter – along with a substantial number of comments and calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general – has disrupted our business and our ability to see our patients. For that disruption, I apologize profoundly for this inconvenience and promise you that we will do our best to resume normal operations as soon as possible.
‘He has lost his soul’
Osbourne reacts to killing of Cecil the Lion by Palmer:
I hope that #WalterPalmer loses his home, his practice & his money. He has already lost his soul…
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) July 28, 2015
Deeply regrets ‘taking’ lion
Palmer issues a statement saying his hunt was legal and that he will assist authorities:
In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. 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. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but 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.
PETA wants hunter hanged
PETA releases a statement about the killing of Cecil the lion. Newkirk:
Hunting is a coward’s pastime. If, as has been reported, this dentist and his guides lured Cecil out of the park with food so as to shoot him on private property, because shooting him in the park would have been illegal, he needs to be extradited, charged, and, preferably, hanged. To get a thrill at the cost of a life, this man gunned down a beloved lion, Cecil with a high-powered weapon. All wild animals are beloved by their own mates and infants, but to hunters like this overblown, over-privileged little man, who lack empathy, understanding, and respect for living creatures, they are merely targets to kill, decapitate, and hang up on a wall as a trophy. 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.
Lion killer identified
Zimbabwean authorities say that Palmer, a Minnesota dentist, is responsible for slaying Cecil, a protected lion. Palmer paid at least $50,000 to track and kill the animal. Palmer faces charges of poaching. 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.”
Authorities hunt lion killer
Zimbabwean authorities are trying to find the hunter who killed Cecil. The 13-year old lion was found headless after being shot with a bow and arrow. Hunters then tracked the dying animal for 40 hours before they killed it with a rifle. Bait, in the form of a freshly killed animal, was used to tempt Cecil out of the park, a technique commonly used so that hunters can “legally” kill protected lions.
Cecil’s death is a tragedy, not only because he was a symbol of Zimbabwe but because now we have to give up for dead his six cubs, as a new male won’t allow them to live so as to encourage Cecil’s three females to mate. The two people who accompanied the hunter have been arrested but we haven’t yet tracked down the hunter, who is Spanish.
Tourist video
0 CommentsA tourist takes video of Cecil in Hwange, Zimbabwe.
