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Zimbabwe: Minnesota Man Being Sought For Lion Poaching


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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwean police said Tuesday they are searching for an American who allegedly shot a well-known, protected lion with a crossbow in a killing that has outraged conservationists and others.
 
The American allegedly paid $50,000 to kill the lion named Cecil, Zimbabwean conservationists said. Authorities on Tuesday said two Zimbabwean men will appear in court for allegedly helping with the hunt.
 
Walter James Palmer was identified on Tuesday by both the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter, which police then confirmed.
 
Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said at a news conference that Palmer is from Minnesota and his current whereabouts were unknown.
 
The American faces poaching charges, according to police spokeswoman Charity Charamba.
 
“We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case,” she said.
 
Phone calls to two listed home phone numbers for Palmer rang busy on Tuesday. Phone calls to his dental office in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington also went unanswered, and a message couldn’t be left because the office mailbox was full.
 
The front door to the office building was locked when a reporter approached Tuesday morning. A woman who came to the door said Palmer was not in the office and was not seeing patients on Tuesday.
 
The two arrested Zimbabwean men — a professional hunter and a farm owner — face poaching charges, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement. Killing the lion was illegal because the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, the joint statement said. The lion was skinned and beheaded. The hunters tried to destroy the lion’s collar, fitted with a tracking device, but failed, the statement said.
 
If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison.
 
The lion is believed to have been killed on July 1 in western Zimbabwe’s wildlife-rich Hwange region, its carcass discovered days later by trackers, the statement said.
 
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that an American paid the $50,000 for the hunt. During a nighttime hunt, the men tied a dead animal to their car to lure the lion out of a national park, said Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. The American is believed to have shot it with a crossbow, injuring the animal. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and shot dead with a gun, Rodrigues said in the statement.

 

More from the link. http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/07/28/bloomington-man-accused-of-killing-beloved-lion-in-zimbabwe/ 

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http://www.startribune.com/zimbabwe-2-to-appear-in-court-for-killing-cecil-the-lion/318828251/

 

 

 

 

Twin Cities dentist disputes report about him killing beloved lion in Africa

A Twin Cities man reported to be the American hunter who killed a beloved lion in Zimbabwe said Tuesday that he is ready to dispute what is being alleged.

Walter J. Palmer, 55, of Eden Prairie, a practicing dentist in Bloomington, said, “Obviously, some things are being misreported.”

Palmer, who has on his record a conviction for poaching a bear in Wisconsin several years ago, said he was preparing to say more later Tuesday about a report posted earlier Tuesday by the London Telegraph that revealed him as the hunter who took down Cecil the lion with a bow and arrow on July 1, paying more than $54,000 for the opportunity.

The Telegraph said it has “two independent sources” identifying Palmer as the man who killed Cecil after the lion was lured out of Hwange National Park. The newspaper added that it has seen a copy of the hunting permit.

The newspaper posted several photos that it said are of Palmer on hunts, one of him shirtless and clutching a leopard that had been killed in 2010.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, confirmed later at a news conference that Palmer is the wanted hunter and his whereabouts were unknown.

Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said “we are looking for Palmer.”

Palmer’s dentist office on Rhode Island Avenue was closed Tuesday, apparently abruptly. One client showed up for his appointment unaware of the global turmoil surrounding his dentist. A note on the front referred visitors to a Minneapolis public relations firm.

 

*Click Link for More* 

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Is the American guy really responsible or was the guide just a money hungry D-bag. It seems to me this is more on the guide than the hunter. The hunter had the proper permits and licenses. I think the guide should be the person being held accountable not the hunter, unless it can be proven that this hunter specifically went after this lion which was known to be in a protected area. Then I would have serious issue with the hunter. But from what I have read so far, the hunter just shot what the guide showed him.

 

This article has come information that conflicts with the one posted.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11767119/Cecil-the-lions-killer-revealed-as-American-dentist.html

 

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. 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.

 

Hard to fault the hunter if he had the proper license.

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Is the American guy really responsible or was the guide just a money hungry D-bag. It seems to me this is more on the guide than the hunter. The hunter had the proper permits and licenses. I think the guide should be the person being held accountable not the hunter, unless it can be proven that this hunter specifically went after this lion which was known to be in a protected area. Then I would have serious issue with the hunter. But from what I have read so far, the hunter just shot what the guide showed him.

 

This article has come information that conflicts with the one posted.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11767119/Cecil-the-lions-killer-revealed-as-American-dentist.html

 

Hard to fault the hunter if he had the proper license.

 

Not hard to fault the hunter. The pricks who organized the hunt lured the animal out of protected lands, and shot it. It was then tracked back into the protected area, and butchered. Apparently they also tried to remove the tracking chip in the animal. I doubt the hunter was unaware of any of this.

 

Whatever the case, the dentist is a **** who gets off killing **** for sport.

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Even worse than the lion (which sounds barbaric enough) - this guy killed a white rhino.  There are only a tiny number left in the world.  Whatever drives a person to seek out an opportunity to kill an endangered species... Ugh.  I don't know what to say.  Clearly (to me) a sick and twisted mind.  I think he deserves tons of blame and all the hatred he's getting.  I hope this makes the next "hunter" think twice about this kind of activity.  The guides wouldn't be there if the market didn't demand.  

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I have a hard time NOT blaming the hunter.  As a general rule, we don't allow ignorance of the law as an excuse for breaking it.  Yes, the two guides are greedy D-bags, but someone who travels internationally to game hunt should probably be aware of the laws surrounding his hobby.

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The guy has a history of getting in trouble for poaching. Is it possible he had NO idea that what those guides were doing was illegal, and whatever license he had didn't apply to luring protected animals off of a reserve? Sure. 

 

Its not likely though with his past. 

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I have a hard time NOT blaming the hunter.  As a general rule, we don't allow ignorance of the law as an excuse for breaking it.  Yes, the two guides are greedy D-bags, but someone who travels internationally to game hunt should probably be aware of the laws surrounding his hobby.

 

From what it sounds like he was. He got his license. I am not going to fault him till more information comes out, but on the surface it looks like he tried to do right.

 

Even worse than the lion (which sounds barbaric enough) - this guy killed a white rhino.  There are only a tiny number left in the world.  Whatever drives a person to seek out an opportunity to kill an endangered species... Ugh.  I don't know what to say.  Clearly (to me) a sick and twisted mind.  I think he deserves tons of blame and all the hatred he's getting.  I hope this makes the next "hunter" think twice about this kind of activity.  The guides wouldn't be there if the market didn't demand.  

 

Once again, people jumping the gun with half truths. Please tell the full truth in this. The Northern White Rhino is the endangered one. The Southern White Rhino, which he shot, is listed as Not Threatened. So now that we know the Southern White Rhino, your reasoning for him being "sick and twisted" is null. Sounds like you have a problem with hunting in general. I am a former hunter, I haven't done it in years, while its not something I enjoy doing any more, I have no issue with anyone who does as long as it is legal and ethical. just as an FYI Lion hunting and Hunting guides are not illegal. You just have to do it ethically and with license. Sounds like these guys were pretty unethical. Not sure about the hunter yet, but at least the guides were.

 

Not hard to fault the hunter. The pricks who organized the hunt lured the animal out of protected lands, and shot it. It was then tracked back into the protected area, and butchered. Apparently they also tried to remove the tracking chip in the animal. I doubt the hunter was unaware of any of this.

 

Whatever the case, the dentist is a **** who gets off killing **** for sport.

 

There isn't enough information for me to make a judgment if he knew or didn't know. The guide definitely seems dirty though.

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I have no problem with hunters.  Real ones.  I have a problem with the losers that get off on killing animals, especially endangered ones, in situations that are set up for them by others like canned hunts.  This lion was even used to being around people.  That's not hunting, it's just killing.  I won't say killing for sport, because there is nothing sporting about that at all.  It's a particularly disgusting hobby of pathetic privileged people looking for a way to be tough while exposing themselves to exactly no risk or effort.  

 

I hope he enjoys his publicity.  May every jerk like him enjoy the same treatment until people get the point that such behavior is shameful and stop engaging in it. 

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I have no problem with hunters.  Real ones.  I have a problem with the losers that get off on killing animals, especially endangered ones, in situations that are set up for them by others like canned hunts.  This lion was even used to being around people.  That's not hunting, it's just killing.  I won't say killing for sport, because there is nothing sporting about that at all.  It's a particularly disgusting hobby of pathetic privileged people looking for a way to be tough while exposing themselves to exactly no risk or effort.  

 

I hope he enjoys his publicity.  May every jerk like him enjoy the same treatment until people get the point that such behavior is shameful and stop engaging in it. 

I 100% agree with you that how this animal was hunted was not a challenge at all and was ethically unsound. I have no problem with hunting a Lion, but if you want to, then you should have to stalk a wild one in its own setting. Not one that has been baited and relatively tame. In my opinion guides should bring you to the area the animal is in. Its up to the hunter to successfully stalk it and bag it. Its incidents like this that give hunting a bad name.

 

The part I am unsure about is how much of the blame is on the hunter vs the guide. If he knew what was going on then fry him, but there is a reasonable chance he had no clue.

Never understand 'hunting for spot.' Or the enjoyment and pride folk get out of it. 

 

Wow, you snuck up on a wild animal and killed it with a high calibre fire arm from x number of yards away where you're in no danger at all. 

 

You go stud .....

 

Hail. 

 

Except he used a bow and arrow.

 

In all fairness its not as easy as it sounds. Especially if it is a long shot with a firearm.

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What a sick jerk.  I really hope enough people boycott his dental practice for a long enough time that it makes his life difficult.  Ugh, I will never understand the mindset that is proud of itself for being involved in "sport" hunting.

 

There isn't enough information for me to make a judgment if he knew or didn't know. The guide definitely seems dirty though.

What?  There's plenty of information out there to make a pretty solid judgement on this ****.  If you don't believe anything else, I'd think that as a former hunter you'd be aware of some basic common sense that dictates:  if killing your prey involves luring it from the protection of a game park, you're probably doing something illegal.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/american-dentist-killed-lion-zimbabwe_55b78e38e4b0a13f9d1a1d0a?

 

The Zimbabwe tourism department also sent out a tweet early Tuesday identifying Palmer as the man who killed Cecil, using the hashtag #illegalhunt.

 

 

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.

 

 

This isn't the first time Palmer has come under fire for his hunting techniques. In 2008, he was placed on probation for one year and fined $2,939 after lying to federal authorities twice about where he shot a black bear in Wisconsin.
 

 

 

“This is a case where the cover up is [worse] than the crime, because if he had immediately came to his senses and admitted what he had done, he would probably be facing a citation or a misdemeanor [instead of a felony]," a prosecuting attorney said during the case.

 

 

UPDATE: 2:25 p.m. -- Palmer released a statement Tuesday afternoon expressing his deep "regret" over the death of Cecil. He said he has not been contacted by authorities in either Zimbabwe or the United States, but will assist them with any inquiries they might have.
 
"To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted," the statement reads. "I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite ... I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

 

 

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I hate the euphamisms.  "Taking of this lion."  Call it what it was.  Be a man.  He lured an innocent creature out of its protected home, shot it with an arrow.  It limped away, wounded, and was shot and finally killed 40 hours later.  That's animal torture.  Bloodthirsty jerk.  

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I hate the euphamisms.  "Taking of this lion."  Call it what it was.  Be a man.  He lured an innocent creature out of its protected home, shot it with an arrow.  It limped away, wounded, and was shot and finally killed 40 hours later.  That's animal torture.  Bloodthirsty jerk.  

 

I think the thing you might not understand is that in many hunts like this, the guides do all the work. The Hunter simply takes the shot. Depending on the hunter depends on how deeply involved in the process he is. Some want to know every little detail and participate in everything other just want to pull the trigger and go have a beer. So yes, I need other details to make a judgment about what happened. I am not saying he is right or wrong. So you have the fact that he obtained the proper licenses for the hunt, but you also have how it was conducted. Once again, how can anyone say what exactly happened without knowing more information is beyond me. Yes it is a shame that this animal was killed when it should not have been. But let's not act like big game hunting, specifically lions, is illegal.

Why did they let the lion run around injured for 40 hours?

They didn't. they found it and killed it the next day, so I assume less than 24 hours passed.

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