THE STORY OF WALTER PALMERBY JEREMY BEDNARSH

WHO IS WALTER PALMER?

• A DENTIST BASED IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA.

• AN ENTHUSIASTIC BIG-GAME HUNTER WHO BELIEVES IN HUNTING WITH A BOW AND ARROW.

WHAT DID HE DO?• EARLIER THIS MONTH, WALTER WENT ON A

HUNTING TRIP IN ZIMBABWE, WHERE HE KILLED A LION.

• THE LION WAS LURED AWAY FROM A SANCTUARY SO THAT HE COULD BE KILLED.

ABOUT THE LION

• THE LION, NAMED CECIL, WAS MUCH LOVED BY THOSE WHO FREQUENTED HWANGE NATIONAL PARK, DUE TO HIS REGAL NATURE.

• HE WAS PART OF A STUDY BY OXFORD UNIVERSITY, AND WHEN HE WAS KILLED HE HAD A GPS TRACKING DEVICE ATTACHED TO HIM.

THE AFTERMATH

• WHILE PALMER PAID $55,000 TO HUNT THE ANIMAL, THE HUNT WAS ACTUALLY ILLEGAL.

• PALMER’S GUIDE, PROFESSIONAL HUNTER THEO BRONKHORST, AND FARMER HONEST NDLOVU, ON WHOSE PROPERTY THE LION WAS KILLED, ARE BOTH FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES.

WALTER PALMER’S PAST

• THIS ISN’T PALMER’S FIRST RUN-IN WITH THE LAW. • IN 2008, HE FACED PRISON TIME AFTER LYING TO

A FEDERAL AGENT ABOUT HUNTING A BLACK BEAR IN WISCONSIN.

• WAS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN 2009.

AND NOW…

• WALTER PALMER’S WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN.

• HE CLOSED DOWN HIS DENTIST OFFICE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

• HAS BECOME A TARGET OF INTERNET VIGILANTISM

• THE DOOR OF HIS OFFICE IS COVERED WITH A SHRINE OF STUFFED ANIMALS AND SIGNS TELLING HIM TO “ROT IN HELL”.

• PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA ARE PROTESTING.