Cecil the lion case: Dentist not to be charged
Dentist Walter Palmer will not be charged by Zimbabwean authorities for killing Cecil-the lion, as he had obtained legal authority to hunt and so had not broken any law. This move has received severe criticism from conservationists who believe he committed a crime; they plan to pursue a case against him in the US. Zimbabwe will now review its process of awarding hunting-licenses.
Cecil was a high-profile lion who lived in the Hwange National Park of Zimbabwe, a "free roam zone" where hunting is prohibited. He was the star attraction of Zimbabwe with his distinguishable black mane.
Walter Palmer, an US dentist along with two locals lured Cecil outside the park with a dead animal strapped to the car as a bait, and shot him with a cross bow, only injuring him. They stalked injured Cecil for 40 hours before Walter finally killed him with a rifle shot. Subsequently, the three of them skinned his corpse and beheaded him brutally.
The two assistants of Walter in the cruel killing of Cecil have been identified by the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority as a hunter, Theo Bronkhorst and a local farmer, Honest Trymore Ndlovu.
The Zimbabwean government ratified that neither Palmer nor Ndlovu and Bronkhorst had appropriate permission to hunt a lion. Therefore, any killing was illegal and the participants would be termed poachers. The police arrested Bronkhorst and Ndlovu and Palmer was wanted by the police. The assistants stated that they were not aware of the lion's identity and assured that they had license to hunt.
Cecil was a part of an Oxford University study on the conservation of lions in Zimbabwe. Oxford researchers expressed their love for him to the press after the news broke out and vehemently protested against his brutal killing.
Mr. Walter Palmer stated that he had ensured all proper permits and relied on the expertise of his guides to secure a legal hunt. He also ratified that he was not aware of Cecil's identity and 'regrets' killing the adored attraction of Zimbabwe. He further stated that he would ensure his assistance towards the Zimbabwe authorities regarding any inquiries about the matter.
The two assistants of Walter Palmer who were arrested on charges of poaching were released by a Zimbabwe court on a bail of $1000 each, Both of them stated that they were innocent of poaching charges, which could have resulted in upto 10 years of jail. Zimbabwean authorities declared that Walter Palmer had paid atleast $50,000 to both of them for the hunt.
Dentist Walter Palmer who brutally hunted the loved lion, Cecil of Zimbabwe faced cutthroat criticism on social media networking sites from all over the world. By the end of Wednesday, there were almost 100000 tweets with the hashtag #CecilTheLion. An online petition demanding justice for Cecil had already gathered 95,000 signatures. Angry protestors dropped stuffed animals and flowers in front of his building.
The Minnesota dentist, Walter Palmer who killed the well-known Zimbabwe lion named Cecil has taken to seclusion amidst the uproar of protests and bantering against him. His dental practice has been stalled, his websites and social media sites were shut as people have been flooding them with enraged comments. About 100 protestors gathered in front of his clinic, holding posters with hate messages.
