Dentist Who Killed Cecil the Lion Returning to Work

The Minnesota dentist whose killing of Cecil the lion sparked a global backlash emerged for an interview in which he disputed some accounts of the hunt, expressed agitation at the animosity directed at those close to him and said he would be back at work within days.

Walter Palmer, who has spent more than a month out of sight, said Sunday that he acted legally and was stunned to find out his hunting party had killed one of Zimbabwe’s treasured animals.

“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,” Palmer said. “Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.”

After Palmer was named in late July as the hunter who killed Cecil, he was threatened on social media.

“I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all,” Palmer said. He said he feels safe enough to return to work — “My staff and my patients support me and they want me back.”

This article appeared in print on page 3 of the September 8th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.