Dentist Apologizes for Killing Cecil the Lion, PETA Calls For U.S. Hunter to Be “Hanged”

Protesters have gathered outside Dr. Palmer’s Bloomington, Minn., dental practice, which according to local news affiliate Fox 9, will likely remain closed through the end of this week. Dr. Palmer wrote a letter to his patients apologizing for the disruption and attempting to explain how he unknowingly killed a protected animal during his big game hunt in Zimbabwe.

The letter, obtained by Fox 9, began with Dr. Palmer telling patients that although hunting is “one of my passions outside dentistry,” he doesn’t talk about it often “because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic.” Fair enough.

Dr. Palmer went on to say that during his recent Zimbabwe hunting expedition, he “hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits.” As far as he knew, “everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.”

As for Cecil, a popular attraction at the Hwange National Park who was also being studied in an Oxford University program? In the letter obtained by Fox 9, Dr. Palmer insisted that he “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.” Instead, he “relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.”

Those guides, professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst and farmowner Honest Ndlovu, could face poaching charges. According to NBC News, Bronkhorst is due back in court next week after posting $1,200 bail. Wildlife officials have accused Bronkhorst and Ndlovu “of taking $50,000 from Palmer in order to coax Cecil out of the Hwange National Park and onto private land, where he was beheaded and skinned,” per NBC News. If found guilty, the men could be fined $20,000 and each face a sentence of up to 10 years in jail.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *