AFRICA

American Hunter Killed Cecil, Beloved Lion That Was Lured Out of Its Sanctuary

By KATIE ROGERS
Cecil, a lion who lived in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, in 2012. The hunter who killed Cecil this month faces poaching charges. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Cecil, a 13-year-old lion, wandered out of his sanctuary in a national park in Zimbabwe this month, following the scent of a potential snack.
At the other end of Cecil’s search was a lure, placed there by hunters who, conservationists say, wanted their prey to cross into unprotected territory so they could kill him.
Cecil, well known to those who visited the Hwange National Park in western Zimbabwe for his jet black mane, was beheaded, according to conservation officials. His corpse was left to rot in the sun.
Zimbabwean officials said that Dr. Walter J. Palmer, an American hunter known for killing big game with a bow and arrow, killed Cecil, and was being sought on poaching charges.
Johnny Rodrigues of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Cecil was lured out of a protected game preserve one night in early July by a hunting party that tied a dead animal to a car.
The first shot, which the authorities say came from Dr. Palmer’s crossbow, was not enough to kill the lion. Cecil was tracked for nearly two days before Dr. Palmer killed him with a gun.
Walter J. Palmer, center, and the guides Cary Jellison, left, and Brent Sinclair, on a hunt in 2009. Cary Jellison
The details of the lion’s death have outraged nature enthusiasts and conservationists around the world who are troubled by wealthy big-game hunters who pay tens of thousands of dollars for licenses to kill protected animals for trophies and sport.
Hunting advocates and some conservationists argue that, if done responsibly, the selling of expensive licenses to big-game hunters can help pay for efforts to protect endangered species. In 2013, the Dallas Safari Club in Texas fought for the right to sell at auction a permit for the hunting of a black rhino in Namibia, setting off a debate over the practice.
The group argued that a limited hunt helped thin the herd of weak rhinos so the population could grow, and that the $350,000 paid in 2014 by a reality show host to hunt the animal would help fund Namibia’s conservation efforts.
In 2009, Dr. Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, paid $45,000 at an auction to help preserve an elk habitat in California.
A big-game hunter who prides himself on his skills in hunting without firearms, Dr. Palmer was profiled in 2009 in The New York Times, when heshot an elk dead from 75 yards with a compound bow in pursuit of a new bowhunting record. The Telegraph in Britain reported on Tuesday that hepaid around $54,000 for the opportunity to hunt a lion.
Thousands of people have signed a petition, intended for Zimbabwe’s president, demanding justice for Cecil, and angry animal rights supporters have gone online to express their outrage at Dr. Palmer.
Once he was named as the hunter who killed Cecil, Dr. Palmer’s dentistry website was taken offline, and social media users quickly created a parody Facebook page for his office. His Yelp page was also overrun with indignant commenters.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Tuesday that Dr. Palmer’s dentistry office had abruptly closed. A makeshift memorial featuring plush animal toys had been set up outside the office on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, Dr. Palmer defended his actions, saying that he believed what he had done was legal.
“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,” Dr. Palmer said. “I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.”
He said he had not yet been contacted by the authorities in Zimbabwe.
Dr. Palmer has had past legal problems related to hunting. He faced probation after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to making a false statement to federal officials about where, exactly, a black bear was killed in Wisconsin.
Attempts to reach Dr. Palmer on Tuesday at his home and his office were unsuccessful.
Marc Santora contributed reporting.