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Cecil The Lion Killing Sparks Global Outrage
Cecil The Lion Killing Sparks Global Outrage
When news broke that a beloved Zimbabwe lion had been killed, beheaded and skinned allegedly for sport at the hands of an American dentist from Minnesota, outrage poured in from around the world. Celebrities, activist groups and the general public were up in a roar over the death of the lion called Cecil.
Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, was identified Tuesday by the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe and police as the American hunter facing poaching charges for the crossbow killing of Cecil, a well-known and protected lion.
A seasoned big game hunter, Palmer would travel the world in pursuit of animal trophies. On Tuesday, Palmer released a statement saying that to his knowledge, "everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted."
"I 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," he said. "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."
However, Palmer pleaded guilty in 2008 to making false statements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about a black bear he fatally shot in western Wisconsin. Palmer had a permit to hunt but shot the animal outside the authorized zone in 2006, then tried to pass it off as being killed elsewhere, according to court documents.
In regards to the Cecil killing, conservation group says the men had tied a dead animal to their car to lure the lion out of a national park. Palmer is believed to have shot and wounded the lion with a crossbow. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and the conservation group says Palmer then fatally shot it. Police say they are looking for Palmer, who reportedly paid $50,000 to track and kill the animal.
A Facebook page for Palmer's Minnesota dental practice was taken offline Tuesday after users flooded it with comments condemning Palmer's involvement in the hunt.
Hundreds of similar comments inundated a page for his dental practice on review platform Yelp, which prior to Tuesday had only three comments. The reviews poured in from Chicago to New York City to Texas to California, chastising and threatening the dentist.
Let's hope the global outrage would be channeled into constructive, effective actions against animal cruelty, not just on the senseless killing of animals for sadistic "sports", but also numerous other tortures and exploitations of animals for human's so-called "entertainment".
Meanwhile, 60 billion farm animals are killed annually for food. 2 TRILLION if marine lives are included. We can certainly reduce this shocking figure by eating more healthy, compassionate meat-free meals.
Source: http://cbsn.ws/1JxEdrn
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