The ruling early this morning came as Judge Uno Aprilis said responded to an application brought in the Harare High Court by Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppa Municipal-Kashregister. Justice Aprilis said the man who killed the ‘well loved’ Cecil in a bow hunt near the Hwange National park in western Zimbabwe last year should face some ‘justifiable sanction’. He is op the opinion that 24 hours in an enclosure of 1 square kilometre with four ‘hungry’ lions will “teach the Yankee dentist respect for our nature’.
Cat conservation experts in the US hailed the ruling. Chief executive of the New York-based cat conservation organisation Panther Etcetera, Roary Pumba, said in response that “the bar had to be raised with regards to these acts of violence against large cats. This is exactly what we have been asking for.” He said should Palmer fall prey to the lions while doing his time with them, that will be a ‘just lesson’.
“Cecil the lion’s killing, sadly, is but one case in a broad-based human assault on these majestic animals, even where they are supposedly protected,” Pumba told AFP.
It is not clear if the US Justice Department has been alerted to the ruling or how it will respond.
Palmer was the subject of extradition talk in Zimbabwe for several months after the killing of Cevil. In the US protests, particularly in Minnesota, where he has a dental practice, almost lead to violence.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is said to release a statement later today.
