The hashtags #cecilthelion, #justiceforcecilthelion and #walterpalmer have gone viral with British supermodel Cara Delevingne saying Walter Palmer is an excuse for a human being and Sharon Osborne – wife of Ozzie – saying Palmer is Satan himself.
Pop singer Ricky Martin, singer/songwriter/actress Mandy Moore and British comedian Ricky Gervais followed suite.
South African supermodel Candice Swanepoel said on Instagra: How dare you #walterpalmer!!!! As a South African and as a human being I can’t express how deeply saddened I am by this, what pleasure do you get out of doing such a thing!Seeing these animals alive in their natural habitat is such a blessing, you have to be so sick to want to kill such a majestic creature of God. You come to Africa with your dollars and euros thinking you can buy power by taking advantage of Africa’s poverty and paying people to help you kill an innocent creature. Disgusting! I hope you get what you deserve #walterpalmer ????
Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe’s national parks – was killed by the tooth quack who has boasted about shooting several animals with a crossbow.
Palmer in the meantime defended his actions, saying in a statement that he was never informed by guides that the lion was “a known local favourite, collared and part of a local study”.
It is believed he paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park.
Meanwhile conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed. The lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact. He was lured out of the national park and shot.
