Zimbabwe to US: Extradite dentist for killing Cecil the lion
The environment minister of Zimbabwe has called for the Minnesota dentist accused of illegally killing Cecil the lion to be extradited from the United States to face trial for paying for an unlawful hunt.
At a press conference Friday, Oppah Muchinguri called Walter Palmer a 鈥渇oreign poacher鈥� and said she believed Zimbabwe鈥檚 prosecutor general had started the process to have him extradited, reported.
Dr. Palmer is alleged to have paid around $50,000 for the chance to kill Cecil just outside the boundaries of Zimbabwe鈥檚 Hwange National Park earlier this month. Cecil was聽聽lured outside the park and wounded with an arrow, before being shot to death with a firearm hours later without proper permits and at night.聽
鈥淯nfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin,鈥� Ms.聽Muchinguri said. 鈥淲e are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he be made accountable.鈥�
, the US and Zimbabwe have had a bilateral extradition treaty for cases where an individual is charged with what would be a criminal offense in both countries.
first reported Thursday the US Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating Palmer under the Lacey Act, and specifically if the hunt was a conspiracy to violate the act, which prohibits trading in wildlife that has been illegally killed, transported or sold, according to a source of the wire service.
鈥淭hat investigation will take us wherever the facts lead,鈥� Edward Grace, the USFWS deputy chief of law enforcement said, adding that the service 鈥渨ill assist Zimbabwe officials in whatever manner requested.鈥�
The Zimbabwean environment minister鈥檚 remarks come as pressure mounts stateside for Palmer鈥檚 extradition.
A has collected more than 170,000 signatures since it was launched last Tuesday, urging Secretary of State John Kerry and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to extradite Palmer at the Zimbabwe government鈥檚 request. The petition exceeded the goal of 100,000 in under 60 days, the threshold necessary to warrant a response from the Obama administration.
A White House spokesman that the Obama administration will respond, but ultimately the Department of Justice will have to act.
Mr. Grace of USFWS urged聽Palmer 鈥渙r his representative [to] contact us immediately鈥�, noting that 鈥渕ultiple efforts to contact Dr. Walter Palmer have been unsuccessful.鈥�
