The two were private game park owner paid just to kill the lion, however, they will face poaching charges, Wednesday in Hwange.
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Theo Bronkhorst, a professional hunter with Bushman Safaris, attended the court in Hwange – 500 miles west of the capital Harare – along with owner of the land that borders the park, Honest Trymore Ndlovu.
Cecil, who was 13, was a prized lion in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, where visitors reportedly sighted him frequently.
If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison.
He is facing mad calls in the US for his prosecution.
Mr Palmer had a permit to hunt but shot the animal outside the authorised zone in 2006, then tried to pass it off as being killed elsewhere, according to court documents.
A Facebook page for Palmer’s Minnesota dental practice was taken offline Tuesday after users flooded it with comments condemning Palmer’s involvement in the hunt. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and Palmer shot it dead with a gun, Rodrigues said.
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. He was wearing a tracking collar which was illegally removed when he was killed.
An online petition has also been started to demand justice for Cecil and already has over 50,000 signatures.
CORNISH: Now, how do you think this could change – this killing of Cecil the Lion – change the conversation about how Zimbabwe manages protected areas? “He had the proper legal permits and he had hired several professional guides”.
“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”.
Parramore said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was “looking into the facts” of the lion’s killing and was “working with the Zimbabwean government as requested”. Palmer said he regretted killing the beloved lion, Cecil, and he thought the guides were taking him on a legal hunt, at least that is what Palmer is claiming.
Majestic creature… Cecil the lion was lured outside his boundaries before being slaughtered.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management as the Regulatory Authority and custodian of all wild animals in Zimbabwe issues hunting permits and hunting quota for all hunting areas in Zimbabwe so that only animals on quota are to be hunted.
Mr Palmer is said to have shot Cecil with a crossbow, injuring the animal.
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The death of Cecil the lion, which was tagged for scientific research by Oxford University, has outraged animal conservationists and it has been condemned on social media. But he said that as many as three hunters may have been involved, none of whom have been detained. Cecil never bothered the tourists but often got close to them, providing unbelievable video opportunities like this one.
