A representative of Dr. Walter Palmer, you know the dentist from Minnesota who illegally killed the Zimbabwe lion Cecil by baiting him out of a national park one night in July, was in contact with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement late on August 30th.
“The Service’s investigation is ongoing and appreciates that Dr. Palmer’s representative voluntarily reached out to the Service,” spokesperson Vanessa C. Kauffman told PEOPLE.
Zimbabwe officials are pushing to extradite Palmer to Zimbabwe “so that he be made accountable,” according to Oppah Muchinguri, Zimbabwe’s environment, water and climate minister. Now, the future of Dr.Palmer seems to sit in the hands of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Palmer has previously stated that he thought the hunt was legal and did not know Cecil “was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt.” This story is semi-believable, since Zimbabwe wildlife authorities seem to find lion hunting acceptable in other circumstances (lions are “vulnerable” and not “endangered”).
Palmer has not been charged with a crime, and there exists discussion over whether it was even illegal due to the fact that lion hunting beyond the borders of the park is legal (with a government issued permit). Still, over 250,000 signatures have been collected, demanding Palmer pay for actions, and the Zimbabwe government has been happy to oblige because, after all, Palmer forgot to pay them for permission.