Mpls. Dentist Responsible For Killing Cecil The Lion Speaks Out
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The local dentist who killed a famous lion in Africa has broken his silence and says he's heading back to work.
Walter Palmer, whose killing of Cecil the Lion sparked international outrage, told the Associated Press he's going back to work Tuesday morning. Since word broke of Cecil's killing, there have been protests outside his Bloomington dental office and Palmer has been in hiding.
There's been no word of scheduled protests this week but some of his patients said they plan to find another dentist.
In the interview, Palmer said he is going back to work because his patents and his staff support him and want him back.
Palmer's announcement that he will return to work drew immediate fire on social media. Some of it was menacing, like a posting on the dental office's Yelp page that says: "Die a painful death Walter, but go bankrupt before you do."
In the interview with the Associated Press, Palmer said the threatening messages have been especially upsetting to his wife and adult daughter.
"I don't understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all," he said.
Palmer insisted he did nothing wrong.
"If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study, obviously I wouldn't have taken this lion," he said.
Palmer has not hired but is getting advice from prominent Twin Cities attorney Joe Friedberg.
Friedberg said no authorities in the United States or in Zimbabwe have tried to interview Palmer.
While a Zimbabwe official has said the nation will seek Palmer's extradition, he has not been charged with a crime.
However, his guide, Theo Bronkhorst, has been charged with failing to prevent an illegal hunt. He faces up to 15 years in jail.
The man who owned the property they hunted on, Honest Ndlovu, faces up to one year in prison.
Their trials begin Sept. 28.
Brian Bakst, the AP reporter who interviewed Palmer, said the dentist was clearly uncomfortable and answered questions abruptly.
"He is intense," Bakst said. "For someone who has so much glare on him, you can tell he is not used to being in front of reporters."
During his interview with the Associated Press, Palmer imposed specific restrictions. No photographs or videotaping were allowed. Reporters also agreed not to name a public relations professional who was at the interview.
In the interview, Palmer said reports that the hunt cost him $50,000 were wrong, but he would not say if that figure was too high or too low.