U.S. Government Is Investigating Killing of Cecil the Lion

More than a hundred thousand people are asking the White House to extradite Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer to Zimbabwe to face justice for hunting and killing a lion known as Cecil this week. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have.

The woman involved in a sexual harassment claim against Dr Walter Palmer says the backlash following the death of Cecil the lion is “karma”.

Separately, the Fish & Wildlife Service said it has been unable to contact Palmer.

In a statement, Palmer has said he wasn’t aware that the lion was protected, and that he relied on local guides to ensure that he was acting legally.

“The US Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing of Cecil the lion”, said Edward Grace, the agency’s deputy chief of law enforcement.

Palmer’s guides are facing poaching charges, according to the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association.

A conservation charity named Lion Aid told Heavy.com, “A client usually has no idea about the laws and regulations of the country he is hunting in – he just buys a safari and then places himself in the hands of his professional hunter guide”.

Cecil was a 13-year-old lion who was beloved among locals and tourists and had been outfitted with a Global Positioning System tracker as part of an ongoing Oxford University research study.

The host then showed several photos of Palmer posing next to animals he killed, including a bear, lion, leopard and rhino.

On a recent trip to Africa, President Barack Obama discussed measures to counter illicit wildlife trafficking, spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday.

Walter Palmer, who hired Zimbabwean professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst for an alleged £32,000, is believed to have killed Cecil on July 1.

According to Lion Aid, a charity that lobbies against trophy hunting, many aspects of Cecil’s murder were both legal and standard practice for big game hunters in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe police and prosecutors on Thursday are trying to come up with a charge for the second suspect in the unlawful killing of Cecil the lion by an American dentist that has outraged animal activists around the world and prompted the Minnesota man to go into seclusion. “We ask that Dr Palmer or his representative contact us immediately”.

The club, which promotes big-game hunting worldwide, issued a statement late Wednesday saying memberships for Palmer and Bronkhorst will be on hiatus until investigations are complete.

This report includes materials from the Associated Press.