“Walter James Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow,” telegraph.co.uk reports. “The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter’s identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit.” Note: shot with a rifle after 40 hours of post-bow shot chasing. The real problem . . .
a professional guide in Mr. Palmer’s party lured “Cecil” [above] out of the park, where he was protected from predation. The guide has been fired – and then some. The Huffington Post reports that
The Facebook page for the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association posted a statement noting the hunter who led the campaign against Cecil was a member of its group, and has since been suspended indefinitely. The hunter, identified as Theo Bronkhorst, was placed under arrest earlier this month after reporting the “mistake,” along with the landowner of the hunting area. Both are due in court on Aug. 6 for poaching charges.
Even before the guide or Mr. Palmer was ID’ed – by the Zimbabwean government in a Tweet no less – the story went viral, triggering virulent anti-hunting fever. When Palmer’s name emerged, and reports revealed that this wasn’t the first time Mr. Palmer’s hunting efforts were locationally challenged, sh!t got real for the dentist.
The comments underneath the various posts on the kill are what you might call highly critical (e.g., “he’s a sociopathic monster just like mass murders pedophiles rapists”). Twitter blew up with vituperation and death threats (e.g., “when does hunting season start on Walter Palmer?”). Palmer’s dental practice is closed, his phone lines disconnected. The Yelp page for his practice ain’t that pretty at all . . .
I would like to cancel my second appointment with Dr. Palmer but it seems that his office number has been disconnected. My first appointment went well and I have no complaints, but I heard a rumor, one that I certainly hope isn’t true.
This rumor is about Dr. Palmers license to practice as a dentist in the state of Minnesota. It seems, according to rumor, that the Dr. routinely travels across state lines into North Dakota where he is NOT licensed to practice dentistry to lure children back across the state line where he can legally remove their healthy teeth to use as ammunition to kill endangered species all over the globe. Isn’t that a crazy rumor?
By cancelling my appointment, I can then take the money that I save on gas and donate it to an animal rescue in my area. I’m sure that the rescue organization will be very glad to know where the money came from.
I hope that the downward spiral into poverty is a swift one for you, Walter Palmer, and I hope that your wife has the forethought to take your children as far away from you as possible so that they aren’t drug down with you. And I REALLY hope, Dr. Palmer, That you die in poverty under the bridge that you call home after having every tooth in your head rot out.
Yes, a toothless, homeless, lonely ex-dentist who’s come to the realization that he’s made huge misjudgements by believing that he is GOD.
Just in case Palmer’s critics want to take things to the next level, the Telegraph — a paper in a country where anti-hunting fervor has led to a outright ban — published pictures of Mr. Palmer, his office and his home. Trying to stem the tide of bile, Palmer released this statement:
In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.
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. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.
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.
Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.
Somehow I don’t think that’s going to placate anti-hunting hatred. But then, what could? Palmer’s life is in ruins, no one’s making the case for hunting and Zimbabwe government officials will no doubt continue to feather their nests with the money paid by foreign hunters – despite a petition demanding “justice” for Cecil (no more hunting permits in Zim) that’s garnered 325k signatures and counting. And so it goes.