The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday that it is investigating the death of Cecil the lion and is looking to talk with the Minnesota dentist who shot the animal in Zimbabwe.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing of ‘Cecil the lion,’ ” Edward Grace, the deputy chief of law enforcement at the agency, said.
{mosads}“That investigation will take us wherever the facts lead. At this point in time, however, multiple efforts to contact Dr. Walter Palmer have been unsuccessful. We ask that Dr. Palmer or his representative contact us immediately.”
Palmer attracted international outrage this week after Zimbabwean officials named him as the killer of the beloved lion. Palmer allegedly hired local guides to lure Cecil out of a national park where he shot and eventually beheaded him.
Fish and Wildlife Service officials said Wednesday that they were “deeply concerned” about the lion’s death and offered to help the Zimbabwean government investigate the circumstances around the killing.
The public has castigated Palmer, and lawmakers have slammed the killing as well. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) said Wednesday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Fish and Wildlife personnel should investigate whether U.S. laws were broken in the incident.
A White House petition to extradite Palmer quickly hit 100,000 signature this week, and the White House said Thursday that it will review and respond to the petition, Reuters reported. The Justice Department is ultimately responsible for deciding whether to issue an extradition order.
Palmer has said he was unaware of Cecil’s fame when he killed the animal and that he believed he was following the law when he went on the hunt.