Minnesota dentist identified as the man who hunted down Zimbabwe's most famous lion
The tourist suspected of paying a safari operator $55,000 to hunt and kill Zimbabwe's famous lion, Cecil, has been identified as Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota. Though the tourist responsible was initially identified as a Spaniard, two independent sources confirmed Palmer's identity to The Telegraph.
Conservation groups in Zimbabwe are furious about the death of the 13-year-old lion, a beloved and well-known animal at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Cecil was reportedly lured out of the park with food, shot with a crossbow, and then shot and killed with a gun after the hunters tracked him for than 40 hours. Palmer then allegedly skinned and beheaded the lion, leaving its remains on the park's outskirts. Palmer's spokesman claims that Palmer says he "had the proper legal permits and he had hired several professional guides."
Described by his spokesman as a big-game hunter who "hunts the world over," Palmer has made headlines before. In 2009, Palmer was interviewed by The New York Times for slaying "a trophy elk worthy of consideration for the archery record books."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published