Sick lion killer tracked down

HUNTER IS LYING LOW

LION-KILLER Phillip Smith is finally cornered after slaying majestic pride leader Mopane.

But the bloodthirsty physiotherapist stil l refused to apologise for killing the 12-year- old beast.

Smith reportedly paid more than £ 30,000 (€ 35,575) to kill Mopane in Zimbabwe. Locals here in Columbia, Missouri, say he has been lying low since the August trip.

Whe n fi r s t approached, Smith joyfully said he was “doing good”.

But his demeanour quickly changed when asked about Mopane, killed close to where lion Cecil was slaughtered six i years ago.

Asked whether the lion died a slo w death as reported, after his poor shot with a b ow and arrow, the physio said: “I don’twanttotalkabout it. How did you find me?”

Smith (46) then climbed into a 4x4 GMC truck with business partner Mark Dempsey and another colleague, and sped off.

Smith and Dempsey run PEAK Sport and Spine,

Missouri’s largest privately owned outpatient physical therapy company, and it helps fund the father of three’s sick killing trips.

Animal rights campaigners described Smith as a monster, commended The Star for tackling him and called on the UK Government to ban trophy hunting.

Lured

Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting and author of several books on the industry, said:

“The killing o f Mopane is even worse t than the shooting of C ecil t hat shocked t he world i n 2015.

“Cecil was lured with bait out of the safety of the national park, shot with a bow, and left overnight to drown in his blood.

“Mopane was lured out of the very same park, killed in the very same location, by the very same hunting company, but he was left by his killer to suffer in appalling agony for... 24 hours.”