RIP Cecil

[Cachoo]

I don't disagree with some of what you said: I believe the way publicity is orchestrated these days that he was told to talk about his concern for his family/staff to generate sympathy and to try and move away from Cecil's death. I guess I think this is manipulation over sincerity. God knows he isn't the only person to use a publicist.

 

[rvi5]

...I'm disappointed that the dentist was not charged...

I doubt Palmer will be charged. If he is (on some technicality), little will come of it. Palmer is blaming everything on the guide. Unless the guide testifies against him, or if Palmer had previously boasted of intended plans to others, I don't see any way to prove what he knew or didn't. If he is guilty, the guide wouldn't testify since Palmer is a cash-cow client. It is also a possibility Palmer could have bribed him, as he was reported to have done in the Bear hunting case. I suspect the only punishment Palmer will receive is the current public shaming.


“I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all,”

...of course he doesn't understand. His actions prove he believes killing for fun and trophies is OK.


“If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study obviously I wouldn’t have taken it,”

A Zoo animal trapper takes, Palmer kills.

 

[MacMadame]

It is also a possibility Palmer could have bribed him, as he was reported to have done in the Bear hunting case.

I am pretty sure he has bribed someone and that is why he is now coming back to his practice. He hid until the transaction could be completed and he was in danger of being deported. Now the danger is over so he's going to stop hiding.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Here is the full transcript from the actual interview with the Star Tribune :

http://www.startribune.com/full-transcript-walter-palmer-speaks-about-controversy/325453351/

Although it says it's an interview with Palmer, it seems he did the least amount of talking.

Backpedaling by Zimbabwe - big hunting dollars count more -

Why would Zimbabwe step back from extraditing Cecil's hunter? :

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Afri...bwe-step-back-from-extraditing-Cecil-s-hunter

Zimbabwean authorities seem to have cooled off on pursuing the case against Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, amid fears that extraditing the American bow hunter for killing Cecil the lion could hurt Zimbabwe's hunting business.

 

[rvi5]

Can't say I am surprised.... Guide arrested again.

 

[Japanfan]

Here is the full transcript from the actual interview with the Star Tribune :
http://www.startribune.com/full-transcript-walter-palmer-speaks-about-controversy/325453351/

http://www.startribune.com/full-transcript-walter-palmer-speaks-about-controversy/325453351/

Wish I hadn't read that. What a horrible man.

 

[Meoima]

Wish I hadn't read that. What a horrible man.

I know this makes me a horrible person but I will not shed a tear if this disgusting human being meets a horrible end.

Our people kills our animals because they are poor and stupid, but the kind of Palmer is rich and not stupid. That makes their crimes more horrible.

 

[Japanfan]

I know this makes me a horrible person but I will not shed a tear if this disgusting human being meets a horrible end.

Our people kills our animals because they are poor and stupid, but the kind of Palmer is rich and not stupid. That makes their crimes more horrible.

Cecil was neither poor, nor stupid. He was a king and much loved at that - Jericho cried for him when he didn't come home.

Palmer is both, despite his financial wealth, but hasn't figured that out yet.

 

[Vash01]

Palmer is evil and the newly acquired 'publicity' may even help his business.

Zimbabwe is going to pay in a major way eventually by allowing these people to kill all of their wild life. Palmer may never have to pay for his evil deeds.

 

[Oreo]

The level of arrogance this guy has is off the charts.

 

[meggonzo]

Palmer is evil and the newly acquired 'publicity' may even help his business.

Zimbabwe is going to pay in a major way eventually by allowing these people to kill all of their wild life. Palmer may never have to pay for his evil deeds.

So far the publicity has hurt his business since he had to close his practice for 6 weeks.

 

[Cachoo]

I don't mind shaming people who do this as the poor animals need voices for their welfare. I use this word sparingly but this guy is a pr**k.

 

[Vash01]

I don't mind shaming people who do this as the poor animals need voices for their welfare. I use this word sparingly but this guy is a pr**k.

Unfortunately there are too many like him in the world.

 

[Artemis@BC]

Add to the name & shame list: Clayton Stoner, defenceman for the Anheim Ducks, caught illegally hunting grizzly bears.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technol...ral+coast/11369438/story.html?__lsa=c3ee-adea

I think any "trophy" hunting is abhorrent, period, but when it's illegal there's simply no defence. And the fact that this bear, like Cecil, was known and named ... well that just makes it all the worse.

 

[Japanfan]

Add to the name & shame list: Clayton Stoner, defenceman for the Anheim Ducks, caught illegally hunting grizzly bears.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technol...ral+coast/11369438/story.html?__lsa=c3ee-adea

I think any "trophy" hunting is abhorrent, period, but when it's illegal there's simply no defence. And the fact that this bear, like Cecil, was known and named ... well that just makes it all the worse.

Known and named, or not known and named - makes no difference to the bear.

I really wanted to upchuck upon reading that killing a bear costs $25,000. There is something fundamentally wrong with the notion that the value of such a beautiful animal's life -or death, more precisely - is measured in dollars.

 

[rvi5]

The Cecil hunting case for guide Theo Bronkhorst, has been postponed until October 15th. At that time, the judge will decide whether to proceed with a trial. Bronkhorst still faces separate charges in the Sable smuggling case.

On a positive note, it appears Jericho has not abandoned the pride. Cecil's six remaining cubs appear to be thriving according to this article.

 

[Buzz]

A cheetah that was part of a study in Botswana has been killed in a suspected case of poaching.

Legolas, named after an elf in Lord of the Rings, helped researchers understand how the animals hunt together.

The body was found next to a highway along with a shotgun cartridge, in what Cheetah Conservation Botswana called an "unnecessary and unprovoked attack".

The death is being investigated as a poaching case.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34448465

 

[personwhoishere]

A cheetah that was part of a study in Botswana has been killed in a suspected case of poaching.



http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34448465

what a beautiful animal. So sad.

 

[rvi5]

They can't claim they did not see the collar on that Cheetah.


It never ends...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-park-cecil-the-lion-was-killed-a6685981.html

 

[Buzz]

Also four park rangers were killed during a gun fight with elephant poachers in Congo's Garamba National Park. The 10 man team of Rangers were out gunned and eventually forced to withdraw.
http://www.africanparks.eu/Blog_192_Four+Men+Killed+by+Poachers+in+Garamba+National+Park+DRC.html

 

[sk8pics]

They can't claim they did not see the collar on that Cheetah.


It never ends...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-park-cecil-the-lion-was-killed-a6685981.html

That is so sad. Glad they have arrested some of those responsible. Now they need to find a way to keep this stuff from happening, maybe die the animals' tusks pink or something similar.

 

[Cachoo]

Also four park rangers were killed during a gun fight with elephant poachers in Congo's Garamba National Park. The 10 man team of Rangers were out gunned and eventually forced to withdraw.
http://www.africanparks.eu/Blog_192_Four+Men+Killed+by+Poachers+in+Garamba+National+Park+DRC.html

That is very sad and those rangers were and are heroic.

 

[Japanfan]

That is very sad and those rangers were and are heroic.

Yes. Being a ranger in a lot of African countries means putting oneself in harm's way everyday. It would talk a lot of courage and dedication, and you'd have to constantly be dealing with the fact that you can't save all the animals.

Despite extensive efforts by the Garamba park management team to elicit reinforcements from other international forces in the region in order to help retrieve the four missing men, and track and apprehend the poachers, very little support or assistance was forthcoming

All the more sad and speaks very poorly of the international forces.

 

[Vash01]

Dentist will not be charged for killing Cecil. Not a surprise.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-dentist-walter-palmer-wont-be-charged-cecil-lion-n442931

 

[Meoima]

Human will end this world, seriously. I hope I won't see that day.

 

[Cachoo]

Dentist will not be charged for killing Cecil. Not a surprise.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-dentist-walter-palmer-wont-be-charged-cecil-lion-n442931

Sometimes I feel like the world resembles that movie "Babel" where so many are hurt but if you have the money, and in this instance, are American, somehow you recover and thrive, while everyone else involved pays a steeper price. To me his actions will always be profane and obscene but I'm sure he will return to a normal life quickly now.

 

[mtnskater]

I hope this guy continues to punished in the court of public opinion. I'm disgusted this was somehow found to be legal in Zimbabwe. They need to change their laws stat! However, I'm still holding out hope that U.S. federal prosecutors can find a statute under which the U.S. can prosecute him.

 

[sk8pics]

If Zimbabwe is not prosecuting him, I doubt the U.S. will either. And if his paperwork was in order, I am suspicious that his guide(s) will not be found guilty. What we can hope for is some changes in the future. And that's what we have to work towards.

 

[lmarie086]

I'm disgusted that Palmer won't be prosecuted. Even if he had all his paperwork in order, his guide still had to lure Cecil off land where he was protected. That's shady.

 

[rvi5]

The environment minister said Palmer arrived on a visitor's permit, not a hunting permit. Yet now he is saying Palmer's papers are in order. Was the minister initially in error? Did Palmer switch to a hunter's permit after arriving? Was there a cover-up by a corrupt government (Zimbabwe is high on the world perceived corruption list)?

In Canada, you can not switch between the different types of Visa/permits while still in the country. You must return to your home country, and there may also be a required waiting period before re-applying for a different Visa. I suspect this is to prevent people from staying in the country indefinitely by Visa hopping. However, perhaps Zimbabwe is different.

It was previously reported the land owner was not assigned a quota/permit for Lion hunting. Hence the land owner has committed an offence by allowing the hunt. I read it was claimed the bait was for a leopard, but Cecil came along and the guide told Palmer to kill it (they neglected to mention Jericho who arrived at the bait an hour earlier, but appeared to be ignored). Palmer was said to be furious when he discovered the collar on Cecil. If this telling were true, then the land owner is innocent since he did not know they decided to kill a lion instead. However now the guide becomes guilty, since he should have known Lions were not authorized on that land. Certainly someone is guilty, unless the government now suddenly claims the land owner did have a Lion quota.

I suspect this story is total BS. We know from reported behaviour, Palmer wants to kill the biggest of every type of big game animal possible. We know from photos, he had already killed a leopard. We know from Palmer's photo with Cecil, he was joyful and proud of what he had done despite the collar. Certainly not furious.

In any case, we can conclude from Palmer's past bear hunting, and the guide being caught in the late night with Sables, these are not ethical hunters.