Zimbabwe won't press charges against Cecil the Lion's killer
Updated 0451 GMT (1151 HKT) October 13, 2015 by Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist and big-game hunter who killed Cecil the Lion while on a July hunting expedition, won't face charges in the beloved big cat's death, a Zimbabwean minister said Monday.
There has already been ample publicity surrounding the lion's death, said the country's minister of environment, water and climate, Opa Muchinguri.
"If you talk to him, tell him that tourists are welcome here," she said. "No hunting, though."
Palmer and his family faced threats and saw worldwide protests unfold, including demonstrations outside his Bloomington office after the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force reported that Cecil was lured out of Hwange National Park and shot with a compound bow.
Cecil lived another 40 hours until the hunters tracked him down and shot him with a gun, the conservation group said. He was then skinned and beheaded.
The hunters also tried to destroy the GPS collar that Cecil was wearing as part of a research project backed by Oxford University, according to the conservation group.
Palmer said in interviews with The Associated Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he couldn't see the collar because it was buried beneath Cecil's mane. He also said that it was not illegal to kill a collared lion.
Social media took aim under the hashtag Walter Palmer. "A poor excuse of a human being," "a killer" and "Satan" were just a few of the Twitter insults hurled in his direction. A Facebook page devoted to shaming Palmer still has more than 17,000 members.
Celebrities such as model Cara Delevingne, actress Alyssa Milano and TV host Sharon Osbourne -- who have a combined total of 8.39 million followers -- joined in as well.
"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," Palmer said in a statement in late July. "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."
Palmer disappeared for a spell and shuttered his office, River Bluff Dental, as he weathered the storm of criticism and threats. He returned to work last month.
Two Zimbabweans have been charged in the case, and before Monday, officials there had said they wanted Palmer extradited to face charges.
The 55-year-old dentist had indicated that he'd cooperate, although he said he had yet to be contacted by anyone about the investigation.
Cecil's killing apparently was not the first time Palmer landed into trouble while hunting. A man with the same name and age, and from the same town, illegally killed a black bear in Wisconsin several years ago, according to court documents.
That individual pleaded guilty to making false statements knowingly to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was sentenced to one year on probation and ordered to pay a fine of nearly $3,000, records show.
Structure of the Lead :
Who : Walter Palmer
When : October 13, 2015
What : Walter Palmer won't face charges in the beloved big cat's death
Why : Cecil was lured and killed out of Hwange National Park
How : Walter Palmer returned to work
Key Words :
1. expedition : 探險、考察
2. Minnesota : 明尼蘇達州
3. Oxford University : 美國牛津大學
4. shut : 關閉
5. Zimbabweans : 辛巴威人
6. Satan : 撒旦、魔鬼
7. extradite : 引渡
8. Hwange National Park : 萬蓋國家公園
9. hashtag : 標示 " # " 號
10. Wisconsin : 威斯康星洲
It is everyone's duty to protect each species that lives on the earth.
回覆刪除There should not be exceptions.Nobody can deprive wild animals' lives at will, especially in such a cruel way mentioned above. I hope the killer will be punished for what he has done, and there will not be any other incident like this.