Protests planned for Minn. dentist who killed Cecil the lion
A Minnesota dentist who killed a beloved African lion named Cecil continues to face the wrath of social media users, celebrities and animal lovers around the world.
Since Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie, Minn., admitted to killing Cecil in a statement on Tuesday, he's become the center of criticism surrounding high-stake trophy killings.
On Twitter, people slammed Palmer's "senseless killing" of Cecil and Yelp users continue to pepper Palmer's dentistry page with insults. In the last 24 hours, the hashtag #CecilTheLion has been used nearly 300,000 times, according to Topsy, a social analytics site.
A tweet about Cecil from comedian and director, Ricky Gervais was retweeted 24,000 times. Jimmy Kimmel also launched a fiery tirade against Palmer on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night.
"Why are you shooting a lion in the first place? I'm honestly curious to know why a human being would feel compelled to do that. How is that fun?," he said and at one point became emotional during the monologue.
In the wake of Cecil's death, a Care2 petition calling on Zimbabwean officials to cease issuing hunting permits for trophy kills has almost 400,000 signatures.
On Tuesday evening, a makeshift shrine of stuffed animals was erected in front of Palmer's Bloomington, Minn., office in honor of Cecil.
Two separate protests are also scheduled to take place in front of the dentist office on Wednesday afternoon, KARE-TV reported. Meanwhile, the practice's Facebook page has been taken down and Palmer's office remained closed on Wednesday.
In a letter obtained by KMSP-TV, Palmer apologized to patients, saying the office remained closed because of intense "media interest" and "calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general."
"We are working to have patients with immediate needs referred to other dentists and will keep you informed of any additional developments," he said.
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force alleges that Palmer paid at least $50,000 to track a lion.
The conservation group alleges that Palmer worked with the guides to lure a lion from the national park to an unprotected area by strapping a "dead animal to their vehicle."
Once the animal was off the national park land, Palmer allegedly shot Cecil with a bow and arrow, but did not kill him. The group then tracked the wounded animal for 40 hours. Palmer then shot and killed the animal, according to Rodrigues. The animal was skinned and beheaded.
Two Zimbabwean men, who assisted Palmer, appeared in court Wednesday. A professional hunter named Theo Bronkhorst and a local farm owner, Honest Trymore Ndlovu, are accused of helping Palmer hunt the lion. If convicted the men face up to 15 years in prison in Zimbabwe.
According to Zimbabwe police spokeswoman Charity Charamba, Palmer will also face charges of poaching.
"Ethics are certainly against baiting. Animals are supposed to be given a chance of a fair chase," Emmanuel Fundira, the association's president, said on Tuesday. "In fact, it was not a hunt at all. The animal was baited and that is not how we do it. It is not allowed."
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, called for an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see whether any U.S. laws were violated.
Palmer's spokesman, Jon Austin, said he thought Palmer was in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area Tuesday.
Palmer released a statement on Tuesday maintaining that he was unaware that the hunt was illegal.
"I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt," Palmer said in the statement. "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."
But the apology comes too late for many.
Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.
Contributing: Associated Press