After Cecil’s death, Jericho became the protector of his cubs, according to Rodrigues. “We are absolutely heartbroken”, Zimbabwe’s Conservation Task Force wrote in a Facebook post.
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Meanwhile, an online petition to the US presidential residence, the White House, backing Palmer’s extradition, has so far gained more than 500,000 signatures.
It comes after Zimbabwean wildlife authorities announced that they had suspended the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in an area favoured by hunters.
“All such hunts will only be conducted if confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, and only if accompanied by parks staff”, Chidziya said.
A representative for the Minnesota dentist accused of illegally killing the lion nicknamed Cecil reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late Thursday afternoon, after the agency said attempts to reach him had failed. In the wake of that event, many are calling for the dentist to be extradited to Zimbabwe to face charges for killing the beloved lion, who Palmer claims he killed after obtaining the legal permits. The AWF CrowdRise campaign will donate funds to the protection of lions like Cecil and other species heavily targeted by poachers.
The head of Zimbabwe’s Safari Operators Association, Emmanuel Fundira, said the new restrictions would hit earnings from hunting, which generated $45 million in 2014. The Zimbabwean government has also appealed for the United States to extradite Palmer.
Palmer has admitted to killing the 13-year-old lion, saying he regrets killing such an important animal, but he believe his actions were above-board since he paid the guides. The wounded cat was later tracked down and Palmer allegedly killed it with a gun, they said.
Beth Allgood of the global Fund for Animal Welfare, said, “We’ve done a poll and 70 percent of Americans would pay to see lions in the wild and only 6 percent would pay to hunt lions in the wild”.
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She suggested Palmer also wanted to tarnish Zimbabwe’s image and said the country’s prosecutor general had initiated the extradition request.
