The killing of 13-year-old Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe has sparked international outrage, after it transpired that an American dentist named Walter Palmer first injured the animal with an arrow, and then finished it off with a rifle shot after tracking the wounded beast for 40 hours.
It also transpired that Palmer used $35,000 (about €45,000) to bribe a tour guide.
Cecil, an iconic 13 year old male, was beheaded and skinned after the killing. He was one half of a team made up by another male lion named Jericho. Between the two, they had managed to seize control of the region’s two prides. One of these prides includes three lionesses and seven cubs under seven months old, and after the loss of Cecil, the youngsters are likely to be killed by other males attempting to wrestle control of the pride, to encourage the females to mate.
In a statement, Palmer said: “I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal.
“I had no idea that the lion I took was a known local favourite, was collared and part of a study.”
Dr Palmer belongs to the Safari Club International, which has 55,000 members worldwide.