Cecil’s killer Walter Palmer won’t be charged; permits were in order

           Cecil (left) and his killer, Walter Palmer (right)         (C)Facebook

Walter Palmer, the dentist who shot Cecil the lion, will face no charges, Zimbabwean officials have announced, sparking fresh outrage from animal lovers, The Week reports. Palmer's hunting permits were all "in order", the government said, and he did not breach Zimbabwean law, despite the animal having being killed in an area where hunting is outlawed. President Robert Mugabe has laid the blame for Cecil's death on his "own people", insisting that they were responsible for failing to protect the animal from "foreign vandals".
It marks a "spectacular about-turn" from environment minister Oppah Muchinguri, who in July called for Palmer's extradition as a "foreign poacher", says the Daily Telegraph.
The decision not to charge Palmer follows a lengthy investigation by Zimbabwean officials, who detained professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst. His testimony to local magistrates included an admission that the hunting party was "never meant to hunt on the land where this lion was shot".
Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, became the focus of worldwide attention when it was revealed that he was responsible for shooting Cecil, one of the best-loved animals in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, using a bow and arrow. Palmer reportedly paid Bronkhurst about £35,000 to organize the hunting trip at the beginning of July.
News of Cecil's death caused international outrage and online death threats, prompting Palmer to go into hiding.
Dominic Dyer, policy adviser for Born Free Foundation, told BBC Radio 4's PM program it was a "disgraceful decision" to drop the charges, but added that he was not surprised the government was passing the blame to the guides.
"I think what Zimbabwe is really trying to do is say: 'It is business as usual. We don't want hunters like Mr Palmer to come to this country and face prosecution and prison. We want them to come to this country and spend their money, spend £35,000+ killing our wildlife.'"