Cecil’s crossbow killer out of hiding
THE US dentist who shot the world famous lion Cecil on a hunting trip broke his silence yesterday, claiming he had not known the animal was “important”.
Walter Palmer has been in hiding for more than a month since he fired his crossbow at Cecil, sparking global outrage and a fierce debate about trophy hunting in Africa.
The 55- year- old has faced threats but said he intends to return to his Minneapolis dental practice today.
He stressed that as far as he was concerned he had acted legally and was stunned to find out his hunting party had killed one of Zimbabwe’s most- treasured animals.
Famous
He said: “If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a lion study obviously I wouldn’t have taken it. Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.”
Cecil, named after African mining magnate Cecil Rhodes, was famous in the vast Hwange National Park and had been fitted with a satellite collar for an Oxford University study.
Mr Palmer said he shot the 13- yearold animal outside the park’s borders but he had not died immediately.
However, he disputed claims that the wounded lion wandered for 40 hours and was finished off with a gun.
He claimed it was tracked down the next day and killed with an arrow. Mr Palmer refused to say how much he paid to take part in the hunt.
Zimbabwean officials have called for Mr Palmer’s extradition but no formal steps have been disclosed.
Following the killing in July his clinic and Minnesota home became the target of protests. Animal welfare groups also damaged a holiday home he owns in Florida.
He described himself as “heartbroken” for causing disruptions for staff at his clinic which reopened in late August without him.
The ordeal, he said, had been especially hard for his wife and adult daughter, who both felt threatened.
Mr Palmer said: “I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all.”
But he said he felt safe to return to work, adding: “My staff and patients support me and they want me back.”
Mr Palmer, who has several biggame kills to his name, reportedly paid thousands of dollars for the guided hunt.
A professional hunter and the owner of the farmland on which Cecil was shot both face charges relating to it.
Zimbabwe has since tightened laws for big- game hunting and three US airlines will no longer transport trophies. Asked whether he would return for future hunts, Mr Palmer said: “I don’t know about the future.”
Daily Express Tuesday September 8 2015