American accused of killing Zimbabwe's popular Cecil the lion

Wildlife officials on Tuesdayaccused an American hunter of killing Cecil, one of the oldestand most famous lions in Zimbabwe, without a permit after paying$50,000 to two people who lured the beast to its death.

The lion was lured out of Hwange National Park using a baitand was shot by Walter James Palmer, Johnny Rodrigues, chairmanof Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF), told reporters.

LionAid, a conservation group, said Cecil was wounded with abow and arrow, and not shot dead until 40 hours later.

Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota who received widespreadcriticism on social media for killing Cecil, said on Tuesday hehad hired several professional guides who secured permits forhis bow hunting trip and deeply regretted taking the lion.

"To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal andproperly handled and conducted," Palmer said in a statementposted on the Star Tribune newspaper website.

Rodrigues said Palmer paid Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorstand Honest Ndlovu, a private game park owner, to lure the13-year-old lion. Bronkhorst and Ndlovu will face poachingcharges on Wednesday in Hwange for the lion's killing on July 1,he said.

Palmer said he had not been contacted by authorities inZimbabwe or the United States and would assist in any inquiries.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, localfavorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of thehunt," Palmer's statement said. "I relied on the expertise of mylocal professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

Palmer's hunting has attracted scrutiny in the past. In2008, he pleaded guilty to lying to a U.S. wildlife agent abouta black bear he killed in Wisconsin two years before.

Palmer was accused of killing a bear about 40 miles outsidehis permitted zone, hauling the carcass back into the approvedarea and certifying falsely that it was killed there. He was sentenced to one year probation and fined $2,938.

Comments posted on Twitter about Palmer included, "You are adisgusting excuse of a human" and "when does hunting seasonstart on Walter Palmer."

Cecil, a distinctive black-maned lion, was a popularattraction at the Hwange National Park and had featured in manyphotographic shoots. Cecil's head and skin were recovered andwould be used as evidence in court, Rodrigues said.

Lions are not a protected species in Zimbabwe. If convicted,the two men would be required to pay $20,000 in compensation butthe court may impose an additional jail term.

Investigations show the killing of Cecil was illegal becausethe land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for2015, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA)and ZCTF said in a statement.

"Therefore, all persons implicated in this case are due toappear in court facing poaching charges," the conservationistssaid.

Zimbabwe issues annual permits allowing foreign hunters tokill wildlife like the elephant, buffalo and lion, saying thisallows it to raise money for conservation.