However, after he was revealed to be Cecil’s killer, and before going into hiding, he admitted he “deeply regrets” his actions.
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Cecil, a 13-year-old pride leader who was being tracked by the University of Oxford as part of a study on lion societies, was shot by Palmer twice – first with a crossbow, then 40 hours later with a rifle.
A private security guard is protecting the home of the man who killed Africa’s Cecil the lion after vandals spray painted his garage and left pigs feet and lion-shaped animal crackers on his driveway.
A local game park owner Headman Sibanda also appeared before a different magistrate in the same Hwange court charged with “permitting an illegal hunt” of a lion in April by another American hunter, Jan Seski, a doctor from Pennsylvania.
Palmer has said he relied on his guides to ensure the hunt was legal. Did Jimmy Kimmel choke up because Cecil was murdered or because he confused him with Simba from “The Lion King”?
Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri has spoken out about the issue wants Palmer to be extradited to face charges. The lion was recognisable because of his large size and distinctive black mane and seemingly enjoyed human company. According to Ndlovu, there are now more than 600,000 petitions and lobbies around the world advocating against the hunting of lions.
Long before Cecil died, conservationists pointed out Zimbabwe and some other African countries are contributing to dramatic decreases in the populations of some animals, including big cats, elephants and rhinoceros.
Safari Club global has responded by suspending both Palmer’s and Bronkhorst’s memberships, stating that “those who intentionally take wildlife illegally should be prosecuted and punished to the maximum extent allowed by law”.
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Today if also emerged one of Cecil the lion’s cub was killed by a rival male, which could lead to the other cubs vulnerable to attacks. Rather than criticize people for the passion they feel, we think it would be better to dedicate our efforts to putting that passion to meaningful use.
