An ugly American

[Rockfish1]

What a dick:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit.

Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

. . . During the hunt – which the organisers later admitted was badly carried out – Cecil was lured at night about half a mile out of the national park using bait, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The next day he was found wounded by the hunters and killed, before being beheaded and skinned.

Animals cannot be killed within the confines of the park. The hunters then removed his collar – further contravening park rules.

. . . Dr Andrew Loveridge, one of the principal researchers on the project, told the publication that Cecil and another male lion named Jericho led two prides with six lionesses and a dozen young cubs, and he feared for the safety of the cubs now Cecil had been killed.

"Jericho as a single male will be unable to defend the two prides and cubs from new males that invade the territory. This is what we most often see happening in these cases. Infanticide is the most likely outcome," he said.​

 

[IUJIM]

What a dick:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit.

Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

. . . During the hunt – which the organisers later admitted was badly carried out – Cecil was lured at night about half a mile out of the national park using bait, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The next day he was found wounded by the hunters and killed, before being beheaded and skinned.

Animals cannot be killed within the confines of the park. The hunters then removed his collar – further contravening park rules.

. . . Dr Andrew Loveridge, one of the principal researchers on the project, told the publication that Cecil and another male lion named Jericho led two prides with six lionesses and a dozen young cubs, and he feared for the safety of the cubs now Cecil had been killed.

"Jericho as a single male will be unable to defend the two prides and cubs from new males that invade the territory. This is what we most often see happening in these cases. Infanticide is the most likely outcome," he said.​

Yea, that is not good. I have never understood the enjoyment of hunting, or fishing for that matter. To kill a creature like that for game is cruel.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Yea, that is not good. I have never understood the enjoyment of hunting, or fishing for that matter. To kill a creature like that for game is cruel.

I have a theory, but I have no evidence to back it up. But I think there is a big difference between people who hunt for sport and people who hunt for food. And I think the mindset that killing for sport is fine largely doesn't exist among people who hunt for food. I think that modern society, having separated for most people the act of killing from the act of eating, allows people to develop a disregard for the value of animal life. Sure, on a simple level, we know that beef comes from cattle, but we aren't really forced to appreciate that every steak we eat represents an animal that died so we could eat it. Hunter-gatherer societies, however, generally seem to have a deep respect for the sacrifice of every animal they hunt. You can see this in traditional religions, where animals are imbued with powerful spirits, sometimes worshiped as gods.

I know several people who hunt and fish. They always eat what they kill. Always. It wouldn't even occur to any of them to add to their hunting habits killing for sport. That's not to say they don't enjoy hunting, or that they are only hunting to survive. They could afford to buy food at the grocery if they wanted. But the point is, they appreciate the connection between killing and eating, and I don't know a single one of them that would ever go on a hunt just for the sole purpose of killing something and getting a trophy. I really do think the type of person who kills and eats is very different from the type of person who kills for show.

 

[Noodle]

My son and I are going flounder gigging tonight and I'm a bit uncomfortable already for the simple reason that you cannot catch and release when you fish this way. The limit is 6 per person but I we will not take that many for the simple reason that we would not eat that many. I hope we have the option of conventional fishing so that we can bring home a few flounder but also enjoy the full 3-4 hours by catch and release.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

My son and I are going flounder gigging tonight and I'm a bit uncomfortable already for the simple reason that you cannot catch and release when you fish this way. The limit is 6 per person but I we will not take that many for the simple reason that we would not eat that many. I hope we have the option of conventional fishing so that we can bring home a few flounder but also enjoy the full 3-4 hours by catch and release.

When I was very young, we used to live up in the LaGrange area, right next to a small lake. One day, we caught a ton of bluegill We got greedy and put them all in one of the bathtubs to keep them alive and eat fresh bluegill all week. Unfortunately, we found that we weren't capable of keeping them alive as long as we thought. We had to throw away quite a few dead fish and release whatever survivors there were back in the lake. From that point forward, whenever we'd fish, we'd only keep enough fish for one meal, and release the rest immediately.

I probably haven't been fishing in over ten years now. Since my dad passed, it's not really an attraction, since the best part of fishing wasn't catching the fish, but being out on the boat together all day.

 

[Noodle]

When I was very young, we used to live up in the LaGrange area, right next to a small lake. One day, we caught a ton of bluegill We got greedy and put them all in one of the bathtubs to keep them alive and eat fresh bluegill all week. Unfortunately, we found that we weren't capable of keeping them alive as long as we thought. We had to throw away quite a few dead fish and release whatever survivors there were back in the lake. From that point forward, whenever we'd fish, we'd only keep enough fish for one meal, and release the rest immediately.

I probably haven't been fishing in over ten years now. Since my dad passed, it's not really an attraction, since the best part of fishing wasn't catching the fish, but being out on the boat together all day.

Tonight is my son (14) and me. Last hurrah, I suppose, before he starts high school.

 

[IU1]

What a dick:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit.

Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

. . . During the hunt – which the organisers later admitted was badly carried out – Cecil was lured at night about half a mile out of the national park using bait, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The next day he was found wounded by the hunters and killed, before being beheaded and skinned.

Animals cannot be killed within the confines of the park. The hunters then removed his collar – further contravening park rules.

. . . Dr Andrew Loveridge, one of the principal researchers on the project, told the publication that Cecil and another male lion named Jericho led two prides with six lionesses and a dozen young cubs, and he feared for the safety of the cubs now Cecil had been killed.

"Jericho as a single male will be unable to defend the two prides and cubs from new males that invade the territory. This is what we most often see happening in these cases. Infanticide is the most likely outcome," he said.​

For once you and I completely agree. I was pissed when I read it this morning. I say we take away his weapons and put him in the preserve.

 

[dugger1973]

My son and I are going flounder gigging tonight and I'm a bit uncomfortable already for the simple reason that you cannot catch and release when you fish this way. The limit is 6 per person but I we will not take that many for the simple reason that we would not eat that many. I hope we have the option of conventional fishing so that we can bring home a few flounder but also enjoy the full 3-4 hours by catch and release.

So you have no problem putting the fish through what I imagine is unbelievable trauma just for the sake of a few hours of enjoyment in the sun with your kid? Those poor fish you catch will probably never be able to take another bite of food the rest of their lives without wondering if this is the bite that's going to cause them to be hooked by a sharp metal object in the mouth, yanked unmercifully through the water against their will, dragged out of the water onto a boat, and handled by a crazy land creature only to have said metal object ripped out of their mouth and tossed back in the lake, not before a few humiliating pictures with the land creature are taken of course.

Just for the record, I have no problem with people taking issue with the Minnesota dentist, nor do I have any problem with fishing of any kind. I just think it's interesting how we rationalize our behavior sometimes.

 

[DougS]

Here's what I don't get - who did he pay for the "right" to do this? Was it a legal or illegal activity? Not that this alters my opinion of the guy. Was it a sanctioned "hunt" because the male was getting up in years?

 

[Noodle]

So you have no problem putting the fish through what I imagine is unbelievable trauma just for the sake of a few hours of enjoyment in the sun with your kid? Those poor fish you catch will probably never be able to take another bite of food the rest of their lives without wondering if this is the bite that's going to cause them to be hooked by a sharp metal object in the mouth, yanked unmercifully through the water against their will, dragged out of the water onto a boat, and handled by a crazy land creature only to have said metal object ripped out of their mouth and tossed back in the lake, not before a few humiliating pictures with the land creature are taken of course.

Just for the record, I have no problem with people taking issue with the Minnesota dentist, nor do I have any problem with fishing of any kind. I just think it's interesting how we rationalize our behavior sometimes.

It's tough love, preparing them for life in the ocean. Teaches them a valuable lesson. Of course since they're fish, it probably won't be the last time they have sharp steel cutting through their lip. They can only hope the next time it isn't someone out to catch their dinnet.

 

[zeke4ahs]

What a dick:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit.

Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

. . . During the hunt – which the organisers later admitted was badly carried out – Cecil was lured at night about half a mile out of the national park using bait, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The next day he was found wounded by the hunters and killed, before being beheaded and skinned.

Animals cannot be killed within the confines of the park. The hunters then removed his collar – further contravening park rules.

. . . Dr Andrew Loveridge, one of the principal researchers on the project, told the publication that Cecil and another male lion named Jericho led two prides with six lionesses and a dozen young cubs, and he feared for the safety of the cubs now Cecil had been killed.

"Jericho as a single male will be unable to defend the two prides and cubs from new males that invade the territory. This is what we most often see happening in these cases. Infanticide is the most likely outcome," he said.​

Reminds me of the idiot woman that killed a giraffe.

 

[iubud]

Yea, that is not good. I have never understood the enjoyment of hunting, or fishing for that matter. To kill a creature like that for game is cruel.

Hunting for food is an honorable activity. In my area, I would rather see deer hunted than wear another as a hood ornament again. Chasing an animal out of a preserve is disgusting.

My FIL's best friend owned a sporting goods store for many years. Generations would go into his store and see the various animals mounted on the wall. Many came from Africa. I remember as a kid being fascinated by them being from all over the world and hunted by the man behind the counter. He had most of the big cats, and other large animals, snake skins, bears. When those were shot in the 50's and 60's, nobody thought twice about it. Now it is sad. The animals were sold to Bass Pro Shops when he retired and they are on display in Springfield, Missouri.

 

[twenty02]

Really have to wonder how demented you have to be to actually enjoy something like that. To the point you'd pay $50k to bribe your way into being able to kill an animal like that.

He might as well close his practice and retire.

 

[mjvcaj]

Unfortunately @Rockfish1 does not even scratch the surface when it comes to how big of an asshole this guy is.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews...ntist-accused-killing-zimbabwe-lion-illegally

"The lion was skinned and beheaded, and the hunters tried but failed to destroy the GPS collar, Rodrigues said. Zimbabwe authorities said the trophy since has been confiscated."

PAST CHARGES

If Palmer is charged criminally for the hunt, it will not have been the first time.

In 2008, Palmer admitted he lied to Wisconsin authorities after shooting a black bear 40 miles outside the zone where he was authorized to hunt two years prior. He served one year of probation for the felony conviction, paid a $2,938 fine and forfeited the bear's remains.

Defendants sometimes have their hunting privileges revoked in such cases, but the federal court judge expressly allowed Palmer to "possess archery equipment for lawful sporting purposes."

He also had been cited for fishing without a license in Otter Tail County, in 2003.

DENTISTRY RECORD

The Minnesota Board of Dentistry referenced Palmer's conviction for the Wisconsin bear hunt, as well as sexual harassment claims, in 2009 while punishing him for unprofessional conduct.

According to a corrective action agreement he reached with the board, Palmer's insurer paid $127,500 to a former receptionist and patient who accused him of ongoing sexual harassment. The woman claimed he made unwelcome comments about and physical contact with her breasts, buttocks and genitals.

 

[mjvcaj]

If there is one positive in this entire scenario, it is that this guy's dental practice is ruined.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/river-bluff-dental-bloomington

 

[sglowrider]

Bloodthirsty lion hunter who killed majestic pride leader Mopane finally tracked down​

Mirrorman Christopher Bucktin tackles the wealthy physiotherapist in Columbia, Missouri after he shot the majestic 12-year-old lion Mopane in Zimbabwe

Lion-killer Phillip Smith is finally cornered after slaying majestic pride leader Mopane.

But the bloodthirsty physiotherapist still refused to apologise for killing the 12-year-old beast.

Smith reportedly paid more than £30,000 to kill Mopane in Zimbabwe. Locals here in Columbia, Missouri, say he has been lying low since the August trip.

When first approached, Smith joyfully said he was “doing good”.

But his demeanour quickly changed when asked about Mopane, killed close to where lion Cecil was slaughtered six years ago.

Asked whether the lion died a slow death as reported, after his poor shot with a bow and arrow, the physio said: “I don’t want to talk about it. How did you find me?”

Smith, 46, then climbed into a £56,000 4x4 GMC truck with business partner Mark Dempsey and another colleague, and sped off.

Smith and Dempsey run PEAK Sport and Spine. Missouri’s largest privately owned outpatient physical therapy company, it helps fund the father of three’s sick killing trips.