Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A Minnesota dentist is the target of widespread outrage over his killing of a lion in Zimbabwe.
The lion had allegedly been lured from a national park, where it was protected, so that it could be killed. The animal, named Cecil, had been studied by an Oxford University research program, and was a favorite among tourists who knew him for his distinctive black mane.
Dentist Walter Palmer says he didn't know the lion was protected.
But that doesn't satisfy People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The group's president says if it's true that Palmer and his guides lured the lion out of the park to shoot him, then Palmer should be "extradited, charged and preferably, hanged."
Social media has also been filed with condemnation of the killing.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it's "deeply concerned" about the killing, and that it will help officials in Zimbabwe "in whatever manner requested."
At Palmer's Minnesota office, meanwhile, police are watching for any trouble. Protests have been planned there. By this morning, a small pile of stuffed animals had been left outside the front door.
Last night, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel paid emotional tribute to Cecil, and urged viewers to contribute to a wildlife fund. At the very least, Kimmel said, "maybe we can show the world that not all Americans are like this jack-hole here."
%@AP Links
277-a-12-(Jeff Flocken, North American regional director, International Fund for Animal Welfare, in AP interview)-"for their horn"-Wildlife expert Jeff Flocken says the news that a protected lion was killed in Zimbabwe allegedly by a Minesota hunter is sad but not surprising. (28 Jul 2015)
<<CUT *277 (07/28/15)££ 00:12 "for their horn"
279-a-12-(Jeff Flocken, North American regional director, International Fund for Animal Welfare, in AP interview)-"brought back home"-Wildlife expert Jeff Flocken says U.S. lawmakers need to act to prevent Americans from poaching in Africa. (28 Jul 2015)
<<CUT *279 (07/28/15)££ 00:12 "brought back home"
APPHOTO MNMIT103: Artist Mark Balma paints a mural of Cecil, a well-known lion killed by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer during a guided bow hunting trip in Zimbabwe, as part of a silent protest outside Palmer's office in Bloomington, Minn., Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Palmer said that he had no idea the lion he killed was protected and that he relied on the expertise of his local guides to ensure the hunt was legal. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (29 Jul 2015)
<<APPHOTO MNMIT103 (07/29/15)££
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
