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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

SERIAL KILLER OF WILDLIFE MURDERS CECIL THE LION IN ZIMBABWE - US dentist Walter Palmer's helpers lured Cecil out of protected area so that Palmer could shoot him with bow and arrow. They tracked the wounded and suffering CECIL for FORTY HOURS before beheading him - Dr Palmer has a long record of killing large wildlife with bow and arrow for pleasure. - CECIL'S cubs are now in danger of being killed by other lions.

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LATEST: 
  • Dr Palmer was once accused of relentless sexual harassment by an employee, and he had to settle out of court for $127,500
  • Congresswoman says he could face charges in the US for poaching and bribing.

From this: 



 
To this:

Palmer (left), an avid big game hunter who has killed dozens of animals, has admitted to being the one who shot and killed Cecil the Lion (not pictured) in Zimbabwe
 
  • Dr Walter J Palmer (on the left in picture above), a dentist from Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, killed the famed lion during the first week of July in Zimbabwe
  • It's believed Cecil the Lion, 13, was lured out of the national park and wounded by an arrow before he was tracked for FORTY hours, shot dead with a gun, skinned and beheaded as a hunting trophy
  • Palmer admits he was responsible but said he was unaware it was protected and said he 'regrets' the killing

  • UPDATES  - Read more further down this page:
  • Dr Palmer was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee, and settled out of court for $127,500.  
  • He could face prosecution in the US for bribing and poaching. 
  • The agonizing long hours of an exhausted and maimed lion and one man's vanity that led to his torture. 
  • Dr Palmer's helper in Zimbabwe freed on bail 
  • Outpouring of grief: A memorial to the famous lion at a Zimbabwe national park who was shot by American dentist Walter Palmer has been set up outside his office in Bloomington, Minnesota, along with a sign calling the hunter a killer

  • Stuffed animal memorial placed outside Palmer's office and protesters showed up at his house as 'dentist hunters'  
  • The smiling hunter has previously been fined for lying over the location of where he killed a black bear in northern Wisconsin 
  • Social media and Yelp accounts of Dr. Palmer's practice inundated with furious messages about the hunt 
  • Cecil led two prides containing six lionesses and 12 cubs along with another lion, Jericho.  He was being monitored as part of an Oxford University study into lion conservation
  • Cecil's cubs are now thought to be at risk of being killed if Jericho can't defend the pride from takeover by another male lion. 
  • Chairman of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said anyone convicted of involvement in the illegal hunt could face up to 15 years in prison 
  •  Palmer is a member of the Safari Club International, which has approximately 55,000 members across the world.
  • Palmer also is a member of the bowhunting organization Pope and Young, whose list includes tough targets like polar bears, leopards, rhinos and lions.  

  • Peaceful: People gather at River Bluff Dental clinic in protest against the killing of Cecil the lion outside the dental surgery of Dr. Walter Palmer

    Hunted: 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, a name that police then confirmed
    Dr. Walter Palmer

    Serial killer of wonderful wildlife

    Above, Palmer with another one of his kills. The dentist is an expert shot with a bow and arrow and poses proudly with his hunted rhino

    Continue reading and see more images of Dr. Palmer and his victims


    Palmer holds up a 175-pound leopard which he tracked and killed in Zimbabwe



    Palmer was identified on Tuesday by both the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter who killed Cecil the lion, which police then confirmed

    Prize: Walter Palmer poses with a Nevada California Bighorn during one of his successful hunting trips



    In 2008 Mr Palmer pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the US Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the precise location of where he killed a black bear.
     
    Palmer was placed on a one year probation and fined $2939 after it was found that he was not licensed to kill the bear in that particular area.
     
    The passionate hunter describes himself on his dentist website as having 'a unique talent for creating dazzling smiles that complement each individuals tooth structure, skin tone, and facial attributes.' 
     
    According to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF), the hunt began on July 6. 'They went hunting at night with a spotlight and they spotted Cecil,' said the ZCTF's Johnny Rodrigues.
     
    'They tied a dead animal to their vehicle to lure Cecil out of the park and they scented an area about half a kilometre from the park.'
     
    Rodrigues revealed that Palmer shot his bow and arrow at Cecil, but failed to kill him and that they stalked the wounded and stricken lion for 40 hours before finally shooting him dead and beheading him. 
     
    He added according to The Independent: 'The head – his trophy – has been impounded and confiscated as evidence for the court in Victoria Falls'. 
     
    And to add to the outrage surrounding the death of Cecil, the future of the cubs of his pride are now thought to be at risk. The cubs could be killed if the pride is taken over by another male lion.
     
    'The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy, Jericho, will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs,' Rodrigues said. 
     
    Cecil the lion, Paula French via AP, 2012
     
     
    There has been worldwide condemnation of the "sport" killing of Cecil. 
     
    However, since his role in Cecil's death has been uncovered, animal lovers have laid siege to Dr Palmer's website, posting incredibly negative and abusive reviews.   
     
    One of the strongest denunciations came from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which said on its Twitter account that 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.'
    Almost immediately after Minnesota dentist, Walter Palmer was named as the killer of Cecil the lion, outraged members of the public decided to flood the Yelp review page of his practice with angry messages.
     
    Some members of the public simply scolded the big game hunter, while others outright threatened Palmer, so sickened were they by his hunting trip to Zimbabwe where he paid $55,000 for a permit to shoot dead a lion.
     
    Liesi. C. from Chicago, Illinois called for his dentistry practice to go up in flames in addition to wishing for him to lose all his patients.
     
    '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.'
     
    Others claimed that Dr. Palmer had no regard for life and called him a 'repulsive human being who deserves to be charged with poaching and extradited to Zimbabwe.'
     
    Some reviwers labeled Palmer a monster for 'illegally torturing and murdering Cecil the lion'.
     
    Jen O., also from Chicago, was distressed by the fact that experts now believe that Cecil's six cubs will now die when a new male takes over his pride.
     
    Some people like Alex O. tried to bring the message back to Palmer's status as a erstwhile respected member of the community.
     
    'Do you trust a man like that with your teeth,' wrote Alex O.
     
    'Would you be happy to know that the money you're paying him funds that kind of sick, cowardly and cruel lifestyle?'
     
    Karly O. from Portland, Oregon was concerned about the state of Palmer's ethics.
     
    'If he lies about luring a lion out of a park so he can criticlly wound it and kill it hours later, how can you trust him to tell you the truth about your teeth?'
     
    One individual appeared to pour scorn on the hunting methods employed by Palmer.
     
    'Walter Palmer baited a lion out of a preserve, set up an ambush, wounded it, then found it the next morning to finish him off,' wrote It's M.
     
    'This is not hunting. There is no skill worthy of a trophy here. Especially when you fail to immediately kill the animal, causing it to suffer.'
     
    Sources

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3177303/PICTURED-American-dentist-passion-hunting-killed-Cecil-Lion-bow-arrow-Zimbabwe.html

    RELATED

    DEMAND JUSTICE FOR CECIL THE LION IN ZIMBABWE


    The Petition Site - Demand justice for Cecil the Lion
    Please sign the petition to demand justice for Cecil!
    Tell Zimbabwe to stop issuing hunting permits to kill endangered animals!

    The legend of Cecil started about three and a half years ago, when the then-10-year-old lion was kicked out of his pride, beaten by younger, more powerful males. Hunters argue that as loners, prideless male lions aren't as important to sustaining lion populations.
     
    But Cecil wasn't finished. He soon teamed up with another lone male named Jericho, and the lions regained control of the region's two prides, one of which consists of three lionesses and seven cubs under seven months old.
     
    The loss of Cecil most likely spells the end of Jericho's reign, and the possible loss of the pride's cubs. Jericho, as a single male, will be unable
    But Cecil wasn't finished. He soon teamed up with another lone male named Jericho, and the lions regained control of the region's two prides, one of which consists of three lionesses and seven cubs under seven months old.
     
    The loss of Cecil most likely spells the end of Jericho's reign, and the possible loss of the pride's cubs. Jericho, as a single male, will be unable to defend the two prides and cubs from new males that invade the territory. This is what we most often see happening in these cases. Infanticide is the most likely outcome.
     
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/821/738/351/demand-justice-for-cecil-the-lion-in-zimbambwe/


    UPDATES
     
     
    Dr Palmer accused of sexual harassment
     
  • Dr. Walter Palmer accused by former employee who worked for Minneapolis dentist from 1999 to 2005
  • Complaint made claims married father of two was asked to stop behavior
  • However, the unwanted conduct continued and Dr. Palmer paid out in 2009
  • He was also required to complete a course in ethics after the settlement
  • Dr. Palmer has faced an unprecedented barrage of criticism since he killed Cecil the lion in early July
  • Has gone into hiding and closed his dental practice in Bloomington  

  •  Spelling it out:  Kaitlin Fuller and daughter Autumn, 10, hold their placards while another protester tells Dr. Palmer exactly what he thinks of his hunting prowess

     
    The settlement was made to a former employee at his Minneapolis practice who alleged that Dr. Palmer subjected her to 'ongoing and unwelcome sexual harassment by, but not limited to, verbal comments and physical conduct involving her breasts, buttocks and genitalia'.
     
    The woman alleged that Dr. Palmer, who has gone into hiding since he slaughtered Cecil the lion, was asked to stop his behavior, but continued. Her complaint also alleges she also lost her job because she reported his alleged untoward conduct.
     
    According to the claim filed with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, the employee worked for Dr.Palmer from 1999 to January 2005 and also had dental procedures performed on her by the married father of two.
     
    Dr. Palmer said that he settled financially to 'conclude the matter quickly and efficiently' and it did not amount to any admission of wrongdoing.
     
    The Minnesota Board of Dentistry in reply ruled that the complaint was officially dismissed and Dr. Palmer was required to complete a course in ethics.
     
    This unwelcome revelation about his life follows an unprecedented online and social media backlash against the dentist-hunter for his role in the death of Cecil.
     
    Source
     
     
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     
     Hunter who killed Cecil the lion faces threat of prosecution in US: Dentist may have broken bribery and poaching laws, says congresswoman as protests at his practice

     
     According to The Telegraph, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office are looking at the complaint made by Democrat congresswoman Betty McCollum.
     
    She asked the officials to examine whether the dentist - who has received death threats since he was named as Cecil's killer - broke laws in America relating to conspiracy, bribing of foreign officials, as well as participating in the illegal hunting of a protected species.
     
    Congresswoman McCollum told the paper that Dr Palmer could face prosecution. Zimbabwe police have said they are looking for him.  
     
    The Minnesota dentist has advised his patients to seek care elsewhere after becoming a target of outrage from across the world. 
     
    Posters paying tribute to Cecil the lion as well as criticising Dr Palmer have been put up outside his dental practice in Bloomington
    Source
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3178821/Pictured-court-face-charges-poaching-Two-accomplices-accused-helping-dentist-kill-Cecil-lion-appear-magistrates-Zimbabwe.html

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Agonising last hours of an exhausted and horrifically maimed lion king and one man's deadly vanity that led to its trophy killing
     
    Death did not come quickly for Cecil, an alpha male lion and leader of his pride in a protected sanctuary inside one of Africa’s great national parks. 

    He was tricked earlier this month into leaving his sanctuary. Pieces of meat had been left just outside the boundary of Cecil’s territory, where no hunting is allowed and anti-poaching patrols operate.
     
    Cecil picked up the scent and followed the trail, leaving his pride of two lionesses and six cubs inside the park. It proved a fatal mistake.
     
    For the meat was bait left by hunters intent on luring him from the safety of the park. They were waiting in vehicles with high-powered lamps to illuminate the African bush as soon as Cecil came to investigate this easy meal.
     
    One report suggested that the hunters had even tied meat to the front of their vehicle, hoping Cecil would approach so close it would make killing him easier.
     
    What is certain is that an arrow was fired by a 55-year-old American dentist called Walter Palmer, who had paid £32,000 to Zimbabwean guides in return for the chance to kill the so-called King of the Jungle. The arrow hit Cecil in the flank. Enraged, hurt and terrified, the lion ran off into the bush.
     
    The hunters and their guides, including our dentist friend Walter Palmer, returned to their camp to wait for first light and then followed the trail of blood on foot and in vehicles.
     
    Horrifically maimed, Cecil managed to stay alive for 40 hours. Speeding through the bush, and sometimes stopping to rest in heavy undergrowth, he managed to keep ahead of the men pursuing him for almost two days.
     
    But he could not keep running or hiding for ever. Exhausted and near death, Cecil was finally run to ground by the hunters miles from where he was first wounded.
     
    The men approached the wounded animal and shot him dead. With Cecil cornered and dangerous, it’s understood a professional hunter delivered the fatal bullet while Palmer watched.
     
    Guides moved in, skinning the lion and hacking off his head as trophies to be shipped home to hang on the hunter’s wall.
     
    The fact is that the killing of such impressive animals happens every day in Africa, where rich trophy hunters — mostly from the U.S. and Russia — pay huge fees to shoot wild creatures, but they don’t have Cecil’s fame.
     
    ‘Cecil was beautiful — one of the most beautiful animals you’d ever see,’ says Johnny Rodrigues, a former soldier who runs the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, a charity dedicated to protecting animals.
     
    ‘Nine times out of ten, during a safari drive, you’d come across him walking with his family. He was one of the animals it was guaranteed you’d see. Thousands have seen him. Instead of protecting him, they go ahead and kill him.’
     
    Much filmed and photographed by tourists, Cecil was known all over the world. His slaughter, unusually, has prompted a full investigation by Zimbabwean authorities into the circumstances of his death.
     
    We now know that Palmer, from Minnesota — who had killed wild animals on previous hunts in Africa, including lions and leopards — paid a fee of $50,000 (£32,000) to a Zimbabwean hunting company, one of many in southern Africa. 

    Slaughtered: Cecil (right) with a lioness from his pride in the safety of the Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

    Source


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     
    Zimbabwe hunter who
    helped Dr Palmer free on bail

    Hunter Theo Bronkhorst (left) and landowner Honest Ndlovu are facing poaching charges
    Hunter Theo Bronkhorst (left) and landowner Honest Ndlovu
     are facing poaching charges
     
    Theo Bronkhorst pleaded not guilty to a charge of "failing to prevent an unlawful hunt". He was granted bail of $1,000 (£638) and ordered to appear in court again on 5 August.
     
    Dr Palmer's dental practice in Bloomington, Minnesota has been temporarily closed and a note placed on the door referring visitors to a public relations firm. A protest is due to be held outside the building later.
     
    The firm's social media accounts have also been disabled, after they were flooded with messages from angry members of the public.
     

    Lions in Africa 35,000

    Max estimated lion population 12,000
    Max lion population in southern Africa
    • 665 Approx number of 'trophy' lions killed for export from Africa per year
    • 49 Lion 'trophies' exported from Zimbabwe in 2013
    • 0.29% Contribution to GDP of Zimbabwe from trophy hunting
    • 17% Of Zimbabwe's land given to trophy hunting
     
    The animal had a GPS collar fitted for a research project by UK-based Oxford University that allowed authorities to track its movements. The hunters had tried to destroy it but failed, according to the ZCTF.
     
    On Monday, the head of the ZCTF told the BBC that Cecil "never bothered anybody" and was "one of the most beautiful animals to look at".
     

    Sources

    BBC
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33699346

    Lions Alert
    http://lionalert.org/page/about-lions


    Consequences: Cecil the lion (pictured) was killed by Dr. Walter Palmer and subsequently the Minneapolis dentist has had his life put under scrutiny
    JUSTICE FOR CECIL THE LION

    STOP ALL TROPHY HUNTING


     

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