The most famous animal in one of Zimbabwe’s national parks, Cecil the lion, was killed by an American hunter, Walter James Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, according to the U.K. publication The Telegraph.
Palmer, who is reportedly believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the protected lion with a bow and arrow is receiving hate from all around the world for killing the 13-year-old animal.
“Think it’s safe to say that dentist Walter Palmer of lion killing ‘fame’ is the most hated man in the world right now. Good stuff,” tweeted social media user Pamela Paterson.
Zimbabwean police told the Associated Press that they are searching for Walter Palmer, who shot the beloved lion with a crossbow. Palmer’s dentist office is completely shut at the moment, according to Buzzfeed.
The killing of the animal has brought on criminal charges against two locals: the hunt’s organizer, Theo Bronkhorst, and Honest Trymore Ndlovu, according to the NY Daily News. It’s reportedly unclear whether Palmer will be charged.
“Ongoing investigations to date, suggest that the killing of the lion was illegal since the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quote for 2015. Therefore, all persons implicated in this case are due to appear in court facing poaching charges,” the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority said in a statement.
A petition demanding “justice for Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe” has reportedly been signed by more than 12,000 people and counting.
Cecil the lion was reportedly known to visitors and enjoyed human contact before he was killed.
“He never bothered anybody. He was one of the most beautiful animals to look at,” stated Johnny Rodrigues, the head of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.