The killer of Cecil the Lion has been revealed and it's none other than super sports bow hunter Dr. Walter Palmer. Now Dr. "Cecil killer" Palmer is a sports hunting celebrity of sorts. He was profiled in a 2008 New York Times piece; Stalking a Majestic Beast With an Eye on the Record Book.
I have a problem with sport's hunters.
Cecil was a tagged lion which in theory may have made him illegal to kill. (It is also the reason they know which lion was killed.)
"Theo Bronkhorst, a professional hunter with Bushman Safaris , is facing criminal charges for allegedly killing a collared lion on Antoinette farm in Gwayi Conservancy, Hwange district on 1 July 2015," the statement said.
"All persons implicated in this case are due to appear in court facing poaching charges.
"Both the professional hunter and land owner had no permit or quota to justify the offtake of the lion and therefore are liable for the illegal hunt."
Mr Bronkhorst, who will appear at Hwange magistrates court on Wednesday, said he was unaware of Cecil's fame.
"It was a magnificent, mature lion. We did not know it was well-known lion. I had a licence for my client to shoot a lion with a bow and arrow in the area where it was shot," he said.
- The Telegraph
His client was Dr. Walter Palmer.
Bow hunting may onlly [sic] take place on private hunting areas or communal hunting areas, NOT in a Nation Park or Government controled [sic] Safari Area. - Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association
Lions are either hunted but hanging a animal carcass from a tree as bait and then laying in wait or by stalking and luring out of the park. Bow hunting is on the rise because of it's silence. Those hunting illegally (or as the Telegraph puts it "unethically') can go undetected.
Because of the actions of these men, Zimbabwe (and lions) lost an ambassador. He was the most popular and seemed to have no problem with human contact, never bothering anybody. Zimbabwe lost a tourist attraction, conservationists lost another tagged lion in their study,
According to figures published by National Geographic, 34 of their 62 tagged lions died during the study period – 24 were shot by sport hunters. - The Telegraph
and several cubs will lose if they haven't already, lost their lives as the new male lion takes over the pride.
Dr. Walter "Cecil killer" Palmer, is a dentist up in Bloomington, Minnesota. Before his company's (River Bluff Dental) website was taken down (probably due to the controversy and now his international infamy) it told where to find him when he wasn't in the office.
"Anything allowing him to stay active and observe and photograph wildlife is where you will find Dr Palmer when he [sic] not in the office." - The Telegraph
If you look at the pictures in the Telegraph article he was not conducting a photo shoot with these animals . . . the language he used seems to be designed to lull his clients and obfuscate what his actual intentions were/are. It as if he knew, if they knew there would be problems. /snark
Actually he did speak openly about the kind of shooting he was doing to the New York Times
. . . Learning to shoot at age 5, he has slain all but one of the animals recognized by Pope and Young.
“I don’t have a golf game,” Palmer said. - New Work Times
I guess he counted on his clients and/or the people of Bloomington or even Minnesota not reading NYT.
River Bluff Dental's website is already off line, But their facebook page is not.
They are already down to one star on YELP, but New Beauty, Demandforce, Health Grades and others are not.
And lest you think ole Dr. "Cecil Killer" Palmer just wanted to bag a lion, he'd already been there, done that.
One of Dr. Walter Palmer's trophies. This is NOT Cecil, but another unfortunate lion.
It is unknown whether Dr. Walter "Cecil's killer" Palmer will face charges in Zimbabwe. Though he has been in
trouble for his hunting exploits before. And he
says it wasn't him. (Story now updated, he admits to killing the Cecil)
8:43 AM PT: They just renamed their facebook page "River River" LOL, too late
***
8:49 AM PT:I changed the title after seeing Jen Hayden's diary American dentist paid big bucks to shoot well-known and beloved lion in Africa, to show I had other info.
9:05 AM PT: LOL First they changed the name of their facebook page from River Bluff Dental, to River River. Then they took the page down for a wee tiny bit. Now it's back up with all pictures taken off and all updates except two removed.
9:11 AM PT: And it's gone from Facebook again.
Here's what the last version of the facebook page looked like . . . you know if your trying to hide it would be better not to put your face on everything
10:06 AM PT: Video from River Bluff Dental featuring Dr. Walter Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/...
https://www.youtube.com/...
Everyone Really Fucking Mad at Weenie American Dentist Who Killed Lion
Why are these animals perceived as more valuable dead than alive—when in fact, if we’re strictly talking monetary value, the lion that was killed for $55 grand would have brought millions of tourism dollars to the nature reserve?
10:14 AM PT: Petition: DEMAND JUSTICE FOR CECIL THE LION IN ZIMBABWE
10:16 AM PT: YELP reviews are being deleted. At my last update there were 1,174 reviews now there are only 357
10:48 AM PT: Cecil's head has been found
Initially his organisation had said the whereabouts of Cecil’s head was unknown, sparking concerns that it would be sent abroad as a trophy. The fear brought conservationists and politicians together this week to call on the European Union to ban the import of lion heads, paws and skins as hunters’ trophies from African countries that cannot prove their lion populations are sustainable.
On Tuesday, Rodrigues said the head of the lion had been located in Zimbabwe and had been impounded to be used as evidence in the investigation. - The Guardian
11:14 AM PT: Excellent (and funny) review on YELP encapsulates what happened to Cecil. I suspect the 2 stars was to try and prevent the review from being deleted
3:09 PM PT: Jen has another diary up, this time about Dr. Walter Palmer's feelings over his naracistic bloodthirst American dentist who is wanted for killing Cecil the lion is 'upset' over backlash and he is such a gutless weasel he is still using euphemisms to describe what he did:
“I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt,” he said. - The Guardian
embolden mine
No you didn't "take," as one would take the chocolate cake in the cafeteria line, you KILLED.
“I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity that I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion,” he said. The Guardian
You weren't taking a book off the shelf, you KILLED
And as already reported the economic loss of Cecil is immense.
Emmanuel Fundira, president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, called for Palmer to be prosecuted as a criminal. “Cecil was a collared lion, a protected species,” he said. “The rules are clear in Zimbabwe that no protected lions should be hunted. The American members of our association are encouraged to conduct themselves in a way that is beyond reproach. We are using hunting as a conservation tool, but when the tool is abused in this way, it destroys the whole principle.”
He added: “The culprits should be brought to book and punished at the highest level. This is really reckless.”
Cecil’s death is yet another blow to Zimbabwe’s economy, which is teetering under president Robert Mugabe. Fundira said: “We are extremely saddened. Cecil was a drawcard, well-known in the industry. Travellers came from all over the world for the experience and it’s been taken away.
“If you imagine the amount being talked about as changing hands, $50,000, the country has been short changed. An iconic animal like that is worth much more in the long term. It’s a huge loss and people are grieving.”“If you imagine the amount being talked about as changing hands, $50,000, the country has been short changed. An iconic animal like that is worth much more in the long term. It’s a huge loss and people are grieving.”
--The Guardian
Palmer could face a poaching charge, Zimbabwean police are now looking for him. As
Santa Susanna Kid pointed out in the comments, thanks to Bill Clinton we do have an extradition agreement with Zimbabwe.
If Dr. Walter Palmer is so freaking sorry maybe he should start by trying to make it up to Zimbabwe for their loss of revenue.
We are always told how people like this, like Dr. Walter James Palmer are the job creators. Yes his did create this job that the tracker, other hunter and the safari company assisted him on. If he hadn't have created the job, they wouldn't have been there. But His one narcissistic act of looking to kill an endangered species to mount a head on his wall, damn all other ramifications may have dealt a crippling blow to an entire national
economy.
Good job asswipe! What jobs are you creating now?
At the very least I hope they make you live in Zimbabwe for 10 years giving free dentistry services to the entire population. However, even that might not make up for all you've done and all that YOU ALONE bear primary responsibility for. The buck stops with you.
3:55 PM PT: His dental practice seems to have shut down for today, maybe for a week while they wait and hope this blows over. People are leaving plush animals at the door of the dentist's office, hopefully with shaming notes.
I wonder if a protest in front of his office is planned.
5:13 PM PT: As noted above Dr. Walter Palmer now admits to killing Cecil. He has also hired a PR firm:
Palmer, 55, who pleaded guilty to a license violation after shooting a black bear in Wisconsin in 2008, said he has not been contacted by any authorities in Zimbabwe or the U.S., but added he will cooperate with investigators. The public relations firm that worked with Palmer on the statement said he was in the Twin Cities on Tuesday. - StarTribune
The is a protest in front of his office planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.
Chelsea Hassler, outreach director with the Twin Cities-based Animal Rights Coalition, said her group and “many outraged citizens” intend to protests outside Palmer’s office Wednesday afternoon. --
StarTribune
He is also listed by Safari Club International as having 43 kills all by bow and arrow
SCI keeps a detailed record book in which members display photos, measurements and other information about animals they have killed. Palmer lists 43 kills, all by bow and arrow. His list includes moose, deer, buffalo, a polar bear and mountain lion. --
StarTribune
And then there's this little gem from the same article
“If he bought a lion hunt and they take him on a lion hunt, he [doesn’t] know where you’re going,” Martinell said. “The finger should be pointed at the professional hunter, not the hunter himself.” --StarTribune
Apparently having 43 kills still makes you a naive amateur.
5:20 PM PT: Two more petitions besides the one noted above
One on MoveOn
Extradite Walter J. Palmer to Zimbabwe for Illegally Killing Cecil the Lion
(h/t Flint)
And the DKos petition
Sign the petition: Bring charges against the man who shot Cecil the lion
6:06 PM PT:
(CNN) An American man is being sought in connection with a case that has drawn international attention -- the killing of Cecil the lion -- Zimbabwean officials said Tuesday.
HEY! According to his PR firm Dr. Walter "Killer of Cecile the Lion" Palmer is
IN THE TWIN CITIES (above)
Just wanted to help.
According to CNN, despite earlier reports, Cecil's head has not been found.
6:39 PM PT: Dr. Walter James Palmer has gone into hiding.
After Dr. Palmer was identified as the hunter who killed Cecil, the furore which erupted caused the dentist to go into hiding.
His dental practice was closed when reporters went to knock on the door and a note on the father-of-two's home address referred all callers to a public relations firm in Minneapolis, according to the Star Tribune. -- Dailymail
However his Cecil's death may encourage an end to the legal practice
Beks Ndlovo, chief executive of the African Bush Camps, a private safari company in Zimbabwe, called for the hunting of lions to be stopped.
Ndlovo said: 'In my personal capacity... I strongly object and vehemently disagree with the legalizing and practice of hunting lions in any given area.
'I will personally be encouraging Zimbabwe National Parks and engaging with Government Officials to stop the killing of lions and with immediate effect.' -- Dailymail
7:43 PM PT:Bet you were wondering what that Great White Hunter (but can't track a bear) Ted Nugent thinks of this all. It's ALL lies of course.
Can't wait for that "fully sourced and researched" (LOL) drivel to be posted. He could actually be learning about the whole thing and will write and actual good piece about it. . . . oh wait this is Ted Nugent, what was I thinking?
Wed Jul 29, 2015 at 7:08 AM PT: Please read and support Scott Wooledge's diary, Extradite Minnesotan Walter James Palmer to face justice in Zimbabwe, and petition,