Feds contacted by representative for dentist who killed lion

The environmental minister of Zimbabwe, Oppah Muchinguri, called today for the extradition of the Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the Lion, according to an article by the New York Times.

Zimbabwe’s wildlife minister says extradition is being sought for the American dentist who killed the popular lion, Cecil. “We want him (Palmer) to be extradited and tried in Zimbabwe“, she said.

“They [US courts] may actually doubt the competence of the judiciary here to try him in an objective manner particularly given these prejudicial pronouncements that the politicians are already making”, said Muchadehama. He’s wanted in Zimbabwe in the killing of a lion that was lured out of a national park and then shot with a bow and a gun.

“Palmer, being an American citizen, had a well-orchestrated agenda which would tarnish the image of Zimbabwe and further strain the relation between Zimbabwe and the United States”, she alleged.

Beth Allgood of the global Fund for Animal Welfare, said, “We’ve done a poll and 70 percent of Americans would pay to see lions in the wild and only 6 percent would pay to hunt lions in the wild”.

A White House petition for his extradition had reached more than 160,000 signatures by Friday.

In terms of what action could be taken against him in the United States, Slate says African lions aren’t endangered or threatened under U.S. law, so it was not illegal to kill the animal as per the Endangered Species Act.

He’s the US dentist who shot and killed “Cecil” the lion while on a paid safari.

“He saw Jericho this morning and as of 8.30 tonight Jericho was alive and moving around fine”, he said, adding that world scrutiny meant Zimbabwe had increased protection for its lions.

His hunting guide, Theo Bronkhorst, appeared before a court on poaching charges Wednesday.

The US Justice Department said it does not comment on extradition requests.

Finally the Deputy chief urged Palmer “or his representative [to] contact us immediately”, noting that “multiple efforts to contact Dr Walter Palmer have been unsuccessful”. The Associated Press has reported that prisoners in Zimbabwe rioted earlier this year because they hadn’t been served meat in three years, and that the food woes were evidence of a debilitating economic downturn that has left the government struggling to meet obligations.