THE US DENTIST who killed Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe has questioned the humanity of his critics, in his first ever interview.
Walter Palmer told the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “This has been especially hard on my wife and my daughter.
They’ve been threatened in the social media, and again … I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all.
Palmer reiterated what he previously stated in a press release, that he had no clue that Cecil was a popular attraction at the Hwange National Park.
“Everything was done properly. This was a legal hunt for a lion in Zimbabwe.”
The 55-year-old from Minneapolis denied reports that he paid $50,000 to shoot Cecil, but did not say if the figure was more or less.
The dentist also said he plans to return to work on Tuesday morning:
I’m a health professional. I need to get back to my staff and my patients, and they want me back. That’s why I’m back.
He added, “I have a lot of staff members, and I’m a little heartbroken at the disruption in their lives.”
The dentist said he has not been in hiding since the news broke in July, but that he has been keeping a low profile visiting friends and family.
Zimbabwean authorities have said they want Palmer extradited to face charges, but legal experts have raised doubts that this would happen for a suspected wildlife crime.
Attorney Joe Friedberg joined Palmer for the interview, saying he is an unpaid consultant to the dentist as Palmer “doesn’t need a lawyer” until a government makes a legal claim.
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