Cecil the Lion killer identified as American dentist

This is despicable.

A hunter, named by the Telegraph as Mr Walter James Palmer, has been identified as the killer of Cecil the Lion. The famous 13-year-old lion was found dead just outside the Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe earlier this month, beheaded and skinned. The lion had been wearing a GPS tracker as part of a research project run by Oxford University which made it possible to track his final movements ans it revealed he was tricked into leaving the park with bait. His killers then attempted to destroy his GPS collar after the lion had been killed to remove the evidence. Palmer is a Minnesota dentist who has killed a number of animals previously for trophies and is an established hunter.

Palmer with a leopard he killed in 2010. (via hunting blog)

One of the African rangers who helped with the hunt has been identified and arrested, as has the landowner where Cecil was laid low. The ranger was reportedly paid over €50,000 to lure Cecil out of the nature park where it would be legal to hunt him. The party hunted the famed beast for 40 hours and shot him with a bow and arrow, Palmer's weapon of choice for killing. https://youtu.be/nInaABGSiWo Clip via CNN The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association has admitted that its' members were involved. The death of the iconic lion could also have dire implications for his 24 cubs and 6 lionesses that remain in the park. Conservationists say it is possible the cubs will be killed by another lion now that there is no one to protect them in the park. A number of high profile locals have called for the hunting of lions to be stopped including Beks Ndlovo, chief executive of the African Bush Camps. https://youtu.be/H4a2htZ2wIQ Clip via Brian Orford