He should hang! US dentist targeted by angry protesters over killing of Cecil the lion
THE dentist who hunted down Cecil the lion has been subjected to death threats as the backlash against the killing grows.
Dr Walter Palmer’s surgery in Minnesota has been targeted by protesters, while many have taken to the internet to call for a boycott of his practice
His business website has been littered with negative and abusive reviews, while some on review site Yelp, which have been deleted, have suggested violence towards the dentist.
There has been a outpouring of anger from a range of celebrities including models Candice Swanepoel and Cara Delevingne, who called him a ‘poor excuse of a human being’ over the killing of one of Zimbabwe’s most-loved animals.
Dr Palmer, left, after killing the lion
Animal charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said Dr Palmer should hang for killing Cecil.
'If, as reported, this dentist & guides lured #CeciltheLion out of the park with food so as to shoot him on private property because shooting #CeciltheLion in the park would have been illegal, he needs to be extradited, charged, &, preferably, hanged.’
Stuffed animals including lions were placed outside of his office, along with a a sign that said 'You are a coward and a killer!'
Palmer, who reportedly paid $55,000 to kill the lion, issued a statement last night saying he regretted the animal’s death, but thought he was acting legally.
He said he had 'hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled’.
Palmer, who lives in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie and practices in nearby Bloomington, went on to say that he '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’.
The 13-year-old lion was allegedly shot by Palmer with a bow and arrow. Palmer is thought to have lured Cecil about a mile out of the park on the night of July 1, and the injured lion was discovered roughly 40 hours later by Palmer’s hunting team, who had Cecil shot and killed. Cecil was ultimately beheaded and skinned. The hunters also removed his collar, which is against the park’s rules.
Supermodel Cara Delevinge tweeted: 'This #WalterPalmer is a poor excuse of a human being!’
South African Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel wrote on Twitter: 'How dare you #walterpalmer !!!! As a South African and as a human being I can’t express how deeply saddened I am by this, what pleasure do you get out of doing such a thing!
'Seeing these animals alive in their natural habitat is such a blessing, you have to be so sick to want to kill such a majestic creature of God.
'You come to Africa with your dollars and euros thinking you can buy power by taking advantage of Africa’s poverty and paying people to help you kill an innocent creature.
'Disgusting! I hope you get what you deserve #walterpalmer.’
Ricky Gervais also tweeted: 'RIP #CecilTheLion. I’m struggling to imagine anything more beautiful than this,’ under which he posted a picture of the magnificent Cecil.
But it was not just the celebrity world who joined in the outrage. Many people took to review site Yelp to vent their anger at Dr Palmer.
'Would you be happy to know that the money you’re paying him funds that kind of sick, cowardly and cruel lifestyle?’ wrote one user.
'There is absolutely nothing I can say that will fully encapture the utter hatred I feel for Dr Palmer,’ wrote Liesi C. 'Dr. Palmer, you’re pathetic. You’re not even a man. A man wouldn’t do what you’ve done. You’re a little boy and I hope you are charged to the full extent of any and all law.’
One simply called him a 'repulsive human being who deserves to be charged with poaching and extradited to Zimbabwe.’
Pictures courtesy of Ted Haller/Fox 9
