THE DENTIST WHO KILLED A LION
This is a world of trending news !
You open Facebook or twitter you will see a list of news trending worldwide.
Most of the time its usually celebrities or movie stars or sports stars.
Occasionally a common man also trends doing something really extraordinary !
And there are times (once in a million) when a dentist starts trending world wide ! ! !
But it’s not because – ” He might be the richest dentist in the world or he found a vaccine for dental caries !
Its because he killed a lion and posted a picture in the social networks with the lion’s head !
See the picture below – its the half bald man ! The Dentist From USA .
See next for the Details as to
What is the real story ?
Why & How the lion was shot down ?
Why the Dentist is treading worldwide ?
Don’t miss this surprising story, Go next !
Who is Cecil The Lion ?
Cecil is perhaps the most famous lion in the world.
You can call him the ” Tom Cruise ” of the lion world !
He was the poster lion for the wild life conservation in Africa and in the world.
He was perhaps the maximum photographed animal in the Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.
He had a roaring family/pride of 22 including 4 lionesses. He was regularly tracked and studied by Oxford University as a part of larger study.
Who is the Dentist That Killed Cecil ?
A lion is as big or little smaller than full grown buffalo.
Its not only needs a of of courage but also needs some madness to even about hunting a lion because if it goes wrong then the there are high chances of the hunter being the next meal for the lion.
But meet the Dentist – Dr. Walter Palmer. A dentist from Minnesota.
He has a well established dental practice (worth millions) and a very avid hunter. Well that’s his hobby. Mr Palmer has a well-documented love of hunting, having told The New York Times that he began shooting at the age of five. He has since traveled widely to pursue his passion – shooting chamois in Spain, elephants in Africa, sheep in California and a polar bear.
He is a certified millionaire dentist. Just have a look at one of his mansions !
His Dental Practice
See Next Slide
How did the Dentist Kill The Lion !
How did the Dentist Kill The Lion !
Dr. Walter has been an avid hunter. Of course it seems he always took care where he hunted to be within the law. But the case of Cecil the Lion was a miscalculation. By Zimbabwean rules Lions come under endangered and protected species. That means hunting a Lion is a BIG NO !
But the rules can always be bent by money. Dr. Walter reportedly paid around $55,000 to the forest officials as a charge to kill a lion. In their eagerness they never cared which lion they were targeting.
They chose Cecil – the Start lion ! Bad choice !
Walter and his associates tracked the lion for almost 2 days ! They baited the lion with the help of meat stacked on the back of a truck. Reportedly Dr. Walter shot the lion in the head with a crossbow & arrow. He was tracked and approximately 40 hours later, he was killed with a rifle. He was then skinned and his head was removed.
Dr. Walter proudly posted the picture in his social profile. He had done so in his previous hunting outings also. But this time something unexpected happened.
As the news about Cecil the Lion spread there emerged a huge and unprecedented public outcry !
See Next Slide –
The Media Backlash & Public Outrage
The Media Backlash & Public Outrage
When Dr. Walter posted the hunting pics of Cecil the lion he never imagined the backlash that would be coming his way ! This public outrage has made the dentist the most trending dentist ever till today. Dr. Walter has been trending non stop for the last 72 hours. His clinic website crashed because of excess of protest comments & the memes.
If you are in MN and in need a Dentist check out the Yelp reviews 1st http://t.co/qU3PgfWdAZ #CecilTheLion pic.twitter.com/S2WFtRrSTD
— Glenn with Two Ns (@Bocomendoca) July 29, 2015
Protestor posted this angry rant at the office of Dentist & big game hunter Walter Palmer #CecilTheLion pic.twitter.com/gxPRI8njQC — Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) July 28, 2015
Basically. #CecilTheLion pic.twitter.com/OjuLQ4OCr9
— PETA (@peta) July 28, 2015
Hey, #WalterPalmer, this is how real men shoot animals. #CecilTheLion. pic.twitter.com/Tuf6R8ingF — Paul McElligott (@PaulMcElligott) July 29, 2015
Do you feel like more of a man after killing a beautiful creature like this?! Heartbroken💔 #coward#WalterPalmerpic.twitter.com/jVsGkaWcnm
— K Schwarzenegger (@KSchwarzenegger) July 29, 2015
River Bluff Dental Dr Walter Palmer 10851 Rhode Is. Ave S Bloomington, MN 55438 Phone:(952) 884-5361 #CecilTheLion pic.twitter.com/KfqTjRWVwc — Kim Kaos (@KimKaosDK) July 29, 2015
So, you can see the public outcry over this issue of hunting that involved a dentist hunter. There is a huge risk of public backlash on his dental practice.
Palmer said in a statement on Tuesday that he didn’t know the hunt was illegal, and would cooperate with authorities if they reached out to him. His hunting guide, Theo Bronkhorst, and the owner of the property where Cecil was first shot, Honest Trymore Ndlovu, appeared in court in Zimbabwe on Wednesday, and are both facing up to 10 years in jail or a $20,000 fine. It’s uncertain whether Palmer will face similar charges, or whether he knew the kill was illegal. The “trophy” — Cecil’s head and skin — have been confiscated by Zimbabwe authorities.
Public Protest in Front of Dr. Walter’s Dental Clinic asking to send him to Zimbabwe for trial.
Seeing the public outcry Dr. Walter has tendered an apology but it doesn’t seem to be working for now ! In his apology letter he stated that –
To my valued patients: As you may have already heard, I have been in the news over the last few days for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you. I want you to know of this situation and my involvement In addition to spending time with my family, one of my passions outside dentistry is hunting. I’ve been a life-long hunter since I was a child growing up in North Dakota. I don’t often talk about hunting with my patients because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic. I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting.
In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have.
Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion. That was never my intention. The media interest in this matter – along with a substantial number of comments and calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general – has disrupted our business and our ability to see our patients. For that disruption, I apologize profoundly for this inconvenience and promise you that we will do our best to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We are working to have patients with immediate needs referred to other dentists and will keep you informed of any additional developments. On behalf of all of us at River Bluff Dental, thank you for your support.
Sincerely, Walter J. Palmer, DDS River Bluff Dental”
What’s our take on the issue ?
What happened is really unfortunate. Dr. Walter could have been careful and done more research. This incident does brings the world’s attention to the conservation of wild life that is very necessary for the survival of earth. We don’t have much idea on the legalities in this matter as now its a question between USA and Zimbabwean authorities. But this whole incident had few outcomes –
The unfortunate killing of Cecil the lion.
The practice of Dr. Walter ( no doubt a famous dentist ) is dented.
The world is now more aware and discussing the issue to conserve wild life more diligently.
But that cannot take away the fact that Dr. Walter is a good and skilful dentist who has been providing dental treatment in his area for years. So, its never right to permanently prosecute the person for some miscalculation that resulted in the hunting.