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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Two men in Zimbabwe have appeared in court in connection with the killing of a protected lion by an American dentist.
A professional hunter and a farmer are accused of helping the Minnesota dentist, Walter Palmer, hunt the lion. Police say they are looking for Palmer, who reportedly paid $50,000 to track and kill the animal.
A lawyer for the professional hunter says his client has been released on bail after today's court appearance. The lawyer for the farmer says he hasn't yet been charged and was released.
The head of Zimbabwe's safari association says the killing was unethical and can't even be classified as a hunt, since the lion had been illegally lured into the kill zone.
A conservation group says the men had tied a dead animal to their car to lure the lion out of a national park. Palmer is believed to have shot and wounded the lion with a crossbow. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and the conservation group says Palmer then fatally shot it.
The lion, named Cecil, was being studied by an Oxford University research program. A conservation group says he was known for his characteristic black mane as he was regularly spotted by tourists in the park over the last 13 years.
In a statement, Palmer has said he wasn't aware that the lion was protected, and that he relied on local guides to ensure that he was acting legally.
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087-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 Minnesota hunter is sad but not surprising. (29 Jul 2015)
<<CUT *087 (07/29/15)££ 00:12 "for their horn"
088-a-09-(Jeff Flocken, North American regional director, International Fund for Animal Welfare, in AP interview)-"was the lion"-Wildlife expert Jeff Flocken says it is easy to buy packages to kill animals in Africa. (29 Jul 2015)
<<CUT *088 (07/29/15)££ 00:09 "was the lion"
APPHOTO LON801: In this undated photo provided by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Cecil the lion rests in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe. Two Zimbabweans arrested for illegally hunting a lion appeared in court Wednesday, July 29, 2015. The head of Zimbabwe's safari association said the killing was unethical and that it couldn't even be classified as a hunt, since the lion killed by an American dentist was lured into the kill zone. (Andy Loveridge/Wildlife Conservation Research Unit via AP) (29 Jul 2015)
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APPHOTO XTM102: Theodro Bronkhorst, a professional hunter, arrives for his appearance at the magistrates courts in Hwange about 700 kilometres south west of Harare, Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Bronkhorst who was granted $1000 bail has been charged with failure to prevent an unlawful hunt that resulted in the killing of Cecil the lion by Minnesota dentist, Walter James Palmer, in Zimbabwe. (AP Photo) (29 Jul 2015)
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APPHOTO LON814: In this frame grab taken from a November 2012 video made available by Paula French, a well-known, protected lion known as Cecil strolls around in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean police said Tuesday, July 28, 2015 they are searching for Walter James Palmer, an American who allegedly shot Cecil with a crossbow while on a big game hunt in a killing that has outraged conservationists and others. (Paula French via AP) (21 Oct 2012)
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