Over 13 years, a majestic beast considered by many as the king of the jungle had enjoyed its reign over the planes of Zimbabwe.
However, this prized creature met its untimely death at the hands of a man seeking for the thrill of hunting down a majestic creature. What's worse is the man posted his supposed victory on social media sites.
According to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the man suspected of hunting down and killing Cecil is a dentist named Walter Palmer from Minnesota. Zimbabweans Honest trymore Ndlovu, a farmer, and Theo Bronkhorst, a hunter, are also implicated in the charges filed against Palmer for the illegal hunting and killing of Cecil.
Johnny Rodrigues, Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force reported that though Hwange National Park is a "free roam" zone under Zimbabwean law where hunting is illegal, Palmer found a way to pursue and kill the animal.
Palmer reportedly paid $50,000 and it has been assumed that Bronkhorst was the one who received the payment and arranged for the hunting experience. The three men fastened an animal carcass to a car they parked outside the Hwange as bait to draw out Cecil. Once Cecil left the confines of the park, Palmer shot the animal with a crossbow. The arrow only wounded Cecil prompting Palmer to hunt him down for 40 hours and shot him with a rifle before cutting off Cecil's head and skinning the corpse.
Cecil the lion is one of Hwange National Park's special residents not only because he was frequently seen roaming the grounds by park visitors, but also because he was outfitted with a GPS collar as part of a study the Oxford University in Britain was conducting on the impact of hunting in the area around the national park.
Outrage over the incident has spread like wildfire over Palmer's social media sites, and though he and River Bluff Dental Clinic, where he practices, were able to take down and limit access to their private accounts, Palmer has not been able to completely escape the onslaught of rage the public has for him.
One site Palmer and the River Bluff Dental clinic have no say in banning comments is Yelp, and reviewers have flooded the River Bluff Dental clinic business page with one star reviews as well as expressing their wrath and heartbreak for the death of Cecil the lion.
Some comments obviously expressed their anger towards Palmer:
"Should I just give you my address so you don't have to go through the trouble of spending 50k to hunt me down and kill me?"
"Brought my lion here for dentistry and was horrified by the result. All kidding aside, I hope you die painfully."
"You should pay for what you have done, and you should financially pay to support Lion Conservation! Murderer!!!!!!"
"You are a vile and disgusting piece of garbage. If you have any compassion please kill yourself next."
One reviewer stated that supporting Palmer's business meant supporting illegal hunting:
"If you like the idea of being shot, and/or decapitated by your dentist... this is the place to go. This man is a serial killer. By going to this dentist, you are funding the illegal killing of endangered species."
Some reviewers made a point to challenge Yelp on its efforts to remove negative comments from the site:
"Don't place your or your family's health in the hands of this dentist. A person who kills animals purely for amusement should not be placed in a position of trust. Yelp should not be deleting negative reviews. People are sharing information about this practitioner, which is useful to prospective clients. This is the entire premise of Yelp - people helping other people to make educated decisions about where to shop, eat, stay and purchase goods and services. In this case, people are letting other people know that the business owner is a someone who poaches wild animals. Some people may be okay with that, while others find it abhorrent. This man's $50,000 lion 'hunt' was financed by his past and present clients. Current and prospective clients may want to know where the money they give this dentist is being spent."
"... Yelp, if you delete my review, please go ahead and delete my profile. Consumers are entitled to vote with their wallets, and when public information is available that affects how someone might vote, that information should not be censored. Mr. Walter advertised his 'accomplishment' on social media. Consumers should have the right to decide if they want to support such a person with their hard-earned dollars. There are many people who won't go to Chick-fil-A because of the advertised beliefs of ownership. And that's just over limp fries and mediocre fried chicken. Mr. Walter is (technically) a professional, and, as someone who is bound to adhere to a code of ethics and conduct, his public behavior is fair game."
A man from Vancouver posted a comment that more or less states the fate of Walter Palmer:
"Hey Walter Palmer, Karma called, they want to book an appointment with you..."
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the African lion population has significantly declined over the past three decades and as few as 32,000 remain in the wild.
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