Another ethics question - the death of Cecil the Lion

Warrigal

Warrigal

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Sydney, Australia
An American dentist, an avid game hunter has killed a much loved lion in Zimbabwe.
He has been pilloried on social media.

Some background reading - there's plenty more on the net - before you rush to comment.

The US hunter who killed Cecil the lion, has issued an apology stating that he "deeply regrets" his actions and did not realise the majestic animal was so revered.

The 13-year-old prized lion was lured from Hwange National Park, a Zimbabwean nature reserve, on 1 July. He was shot with a crossbow, before being tracked for 40 hours and then shot with a rifle. The lion was then decapitated and skinned for trophies.

Conservation groups expressed shock after the lion was shot dead. Cecil was a popular attraction to the park and wore a GPS tracking collar as part of a University of Oxford research project.

Walter Palmer, 55, from Minnesota, was exposed as the lion hunter, as it was revealed he paid £35,000 ($50,000) to shoot the much-loved animal with a bow and arrow, reports the Telegraph.

Palmer told his local newspaper, The Star Tribune, he believed his hunting trip was completely legal. In a statement he said: "I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force Conservation told Sky News: "The professional hunters scented the area by dragging a dead animal ... and lured the lion to this spot. And then they came in at night while the lion was feeding, with a spotlight, and shot it with a bow and arrow.

"They didn't kill him straight away. They took 40 hours to do a follow-up and eventually they caught up with him and shot him with a rifle."

The Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association (ZPHGA) confirmed in a Facebook post that one of its members, Theo Bronkhorst, was also involved in the hunt. A professional hunter, Bronkhorst contacted authorities the day after the lion was killed to say a mistake had been made. He and Honest Trymore Ndlovu, the owner of the land bordering the park, have been arrested and charged with illegally killing the animal.

The ZPHGA has confirmed that Bronkhorst's membership has since been suspended indefinitely.

A statement said: "ZPHGA re-iterates it will not tolerate any illegal hunting or any unethical practices by any of its members and their staff".

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, who are responsible for issuing hunting permits and quotas, insist Cecil was killed illegally.
They said: "The killing of the lion was illegal since the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for 2015. Therefore, all persons implicated in this case are due to appear in court facing poaching charges."

Both men are due to appear in court on Wednesday 29 July on poaching charges. If convicted they could face up to 15 years in prison.

Mr Rodrigues added that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy, Jericho, will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs so that he can insert his own bloodline into the females.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-lion-killer-walter-palmer-regrets-beheading-cecil-lion-1513053
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Until two days ago, Walter Palmer was a "very private" man living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his wife and two children. He practised general and cosmetic dentistry from a red brick surgery in nearby Bloomington and hunted animals with a bow and arrow for leisure.

Then Zimbabwean conservationists named him at a press conference on Tuesday as the killer of Cecil, a beloved lion and prime tourist attraction at the Hwange National Park. That was the moment the dentist's old life ended. If precedents are a guide, he will never get it back.

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Hunter Walter James Palmer, left, with another lion he killed. Photo: Facebook

A firestorm of global condemnation rained down on him via social media and continues to rage. Lion lovers, animal advocates and hunting haters alike are baying for Palmer's blood. He is being pilloried as a "murderer" and "utter scum". They want him thrown to the lions or shot, beheaded and skinned in the same way Cecil was shot, beheaded and skinned

A private man he may be, but Palmer's life is surprisingly well documented on the internet, adding more fuel for the fire.

In the competitive world of hunting, exploits are routinely chronicled on specialist websites, such as Safari Club International, where Palmer's profile lists 43 kills including caribou, deer, buffalo, moose and a polar bear.

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Cecil strolls around in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Photo: AP/Paula French

He was convicted in 2008 in relation to the poaching of a black bear in Wisconsin in 2006.

In 2003 he was fined for fishing without a licence, and in 2009 he paid $US127,500 in a settlement to a receptionist he allegedly sexually harassed, without admitting guilt.

The dentist has issued a statement of regret for killing a lion that was so well-known and part of a study.

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Walter Palmer with a California bighorn. Photo: Trophy Hunt America

He said he relied on his local professional guides to whom he reportedly paid $US50,000 to ensure that the hunt was legal, and that he will co-operate with any inquiries by the US or Zimbabwean authorities, which had yet to contact him.

"Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion," Palmer added.
But on social media there was no mercy.

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Walter Palmer with a Roosevelt elk in his quest to "harvest" every species of North Americian big game. Photo: Trophy Hunt America

Palmer's dental practice was pitilessly trashed on the review site Yelp.

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Walter Palmer with a leopard shot in Zimbabwe. Photo: Trophy Hunt America

Caroline D of Los Angeles wrote: "I'm glad you'll get to remember Cecil the Lion for the rest of your life, not because of his head hanging in your living room, but because from this day, your dental practice is ruined. I doubt you'll have the means to drop another 50k to bribe some desperate game reserve guards anytime soon. Best of luck finding clients."

Palmer has been all but silent. Apart from the statement issued through a public relations firm, he told theMinnesota Star Tribune: "obviously, some things are being misreported".

His dental practice was closed on Tuesday, apparently hastily, and a note on the door referred visitors to a public relations firm.

The practice's website and Facebook page were taken down. Door-knocking reporters at the Palmer family home received no answer.

While the dentist's true feelings about the incident, about being described as "the most hated man on the internet" and the likely effect on his life can only be the subject of speculation, research into the growing phenomena of public shaming offers a few clues.
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There's more here, including a number of tweets:
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/...-of-an-online-hate-storm-20150729-gimo7h.html

Your thoughts on the ethics of hunting and public shaming on social media. How does actual jail sentences for the Zimbabweans compare with social shaming for the dentist.

Just a reminder, a good place to start discussing is to select one or more of these principles and apply them to this situation

Ethical principles include:


  • Beneficence - to do good.
  • Non-maleficence - to do no harm.
  • Respect for Autonomy.
  • Fairness.
  • Truthfulness.
  • Justice.
 

Well as I said in another thread, things happen in the universe and there are consequences. Walter Palmer brought some of his primitive hunter gatherer instincts into the 21st century and turned them into a leisure pursuit, presumably he got some adrenaline rush or another survival instinct reward. Its not right or wrong, but there are now consequences, the majority of the population suppress their primitive instincts, so he will be vilified for not doing so.
 
To me, the fact that it was Cecil is beside the point. I don't think trophy hunting should be legal anywhere in the world. And morally I don't see how anyone could think it's OK. How can that man look at himself in the mirror every morning as he shaves? I had a low opinion of Roy Rogers for the same reason. I have helped my dad kill chickens and rabbits to eat before but I don't think it's ok to just kill for the fun of it. I could say more about why that dentist might want to kill large virile animals but it might get me kicked off from here so I'll just keep it to myself. (Or post it over on Facebook) :)
 

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It's disgusting that anyone gets pleasure out of killing wildlife for sport. What kind of person enjoys that??!! I didn't even know you could legally still do that.

I'm shocked at the number of people who still think African safaris still mean killing wildlife. I've been on many safaris but these are for photographic or simply enjoying watching them.
 
I'm going to start with the Zimbabweans, Theo Bronkhorst, a professional hunter and guide and Honest Trymore Ndlovu, a land owner and professional hunter

From the story I deduce the following:

"The professional hunters scented the area by dragging a dead animal" They knew that the lion was not available for hunting in the national park so they lured it onto private property.

"the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for 2015" There was no legal permit for this kill.

They have both been charged with poaching, for which the maximum penalty is 15 years.
Are they being treated with justice, and is it fair that the dentist is not also on trial?
 
I can never understand why hunters think it's a manly pursuit or a fair fight. Arm the animals and see how brave these guys are. What happens when all the wildlife is gone? What or who will be fair game then?
 
mitchezz said:
I can never understand why hunters think it's a manly pursuit or a fair fight. Arm the animals and see how brave these guys are. What happens when all the wildlife is gone? What or who will be fair game then?
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There are so many endangered species now and many are now extinct. And I think most of this is due to poaching or legal/illegal game hunting. Look at the elephants who are killed for ivory. Infuriates me!
 
Dame Warrigal said:
I'm going to start with the Zimbabweans, Theo Bronkhorst, a professional hunter and guide and Honest Trymore Ndlovu, a land owner and professional hunter

From the story I deduce the following:

"The professional hunters scented the area by dragging a dead animal" They knew that the lion was not available for hunting in the national park so they lured it onto private property.

"the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for 2015" There was no legal permit for this kill.

They have both been charged with poaching, for which the maximum penalty is 15 years.
Are they being treated with justice, and is it fair that the dentist is not also on trial?
Click to expand...


What's that saying, 'ignorance of the law is no excuse'? That dentist was a participant in an illegal act, and apparently after the cat was butchered they tried to cut the collar off of it! So he's involved, he's guilty.

And aside from that, bow hunting?!!!! For forty hours that poor animal wandered through the bush with an arrow stuck in his body! Can you imagine how he suffered? Personally, I hope his practise dies as surely as his victims do. And maybe his kids will learn something from this experience, that 'your meanest, cruelest actions have consequences that are far from pleasant'.
 
Debby said:
What's that saying, 'ignorance of the law is no excuse'? That dentist was a participant in an illegal act, and apparently after the cat was butchered they tried to cut the collar off of it! So he's involved, he's guilty.

And aside from that, bow hunting?!!!! For forty hours that poor animal wandered through the bush with an arrow stuck in his body! Can you imagine how he suffered? Personally, I hope his practise dies as surely as his victims do. And maybe his kids will learn something from this experience, that 'your meanest, cruelest actions have consequences that are far from pleasant'.
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Agree!
 
In 2008, Palmer pleaded guilty in federal court in Wisconsin to misleading a federal agent in connection with the hunting of a black bear. Two years earlier, Palmer killed a bear near Phillips, in Price County. That location was 40 miles outside where he held a permit to hunt bear.

Palmer and others transported the bear carcass to a registration station inside the allowed hunting zone. At the station, he falsely certified that the bear had been killed in the legal zone. He then brought the bear to Minnesota.

Twice, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent interviewed Palmer, who said he believed he killed the bear legally.

Facing a maximum penalty of five years in prison, Palmer was sentenced to one year’s probation and fined nearly $3,000.

Trouble also has found Palmer away from his hunting expeditions.

In 2009, he and the Minnesota Board of Dentistry agreed to a settlement involving allegations that he sexually harassed a receptionist. She alleged that Palmer made comments about her breasts, buttocks and *******ia.

Without admitting guilt, Palmer settled and paid $127,500 to the woman, who also was his patient. The settlement included references to his bear-hunting conviction and “substandard record keeping.”


THE REST:

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-23972-Lion killer a convicted poacher in the US/news.aspx


What a creep! I agree with Linda, trophy hunting should be illegal.

On my facebook, there is a person that post pictures of their very young daughter in a small room with all the complete body stuffed animal trophies.....disgusting.
 
No Debby, I was looking at the elements one by one. I haven't started on the dentist yet.

If the Walter Palmer was before me as a juror I would be looking at his background to determine how reasonable it is that he claims that he thought everything was being done legally.

"Palmer's profile lists 43 kills including caribou, deer, buffalo, moose and a polar bear". Palmer is an experienced hunter. He knows that there are laws and that the laws vary from country to country and state to state. Experienced hunters talk to each other and discuss these things. Why didn't he ask to see the paperwork?

"In 2003 he was fined for fishing without a licence" and "He was convicted in 2008 in relation to the poaching of a black bear" in Wisconsin in 2006. Palmer has a history of not bothering with the laws and regulations when he wants a trophy.

Palmer has said "To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted."
It is hard to believe that an experienced "hunter" wouldn't smell a rat when he was taken to a place where a magnificent male lion was feasting on prey just 500 metres outside the perimeter of a national park, just waiting to be shot with a cross bow. A novice might think this was just a lucky co-incidence but an experienced hunter would know exactly what was happening here.

Looking at the justice principle I think his behaviour warrants criminal charges and a trial. I don't think he will be brought to justice though.
 
From what has been said about Palmer; it certainly sounds like doing things legally was not always part of his considerations, since he was charged with illegal killing of animals before.
According to the story about the bear, they dragged it into the area where it would have been legal, but he was obviously hunting where he knew he should not have been hunting, and that didn't stop him.
So, it certainly sounds like he also knew that he would be shooting a lion off of the preserve, and probably paid extra to get one from there.
What they did not expect was that the lion would have a collar and be tracked, so they would be caught in the act of doing this.
I think that he was probably as responsible for what happened as the guides were, and maybe even more, although they all knew they were conducting an illegal hunt.
 
So Very, Very, sad! I Loved the video that showed Cecil being raised by two young men, and Cecil still remembered them years later, when they came to the nature reserve, and they got to see his family. I have the book about his life too. This dentist deserves to be sent to prison! From his criminal background, he seems to think he can do anything he wants....he is a lowlife!

i was mistaken....the lion I mentioned was Christian, not Cecil. Just saw a video of Cecil, and he was a beauty, had a family, and he was a revered part of the park for 13 years. He and his family would be seen walking in the park every day.
 
This sounds like one of those "canned" hunts to me, where the animals are basically fenced in on someone's property so they have nowhere to run to escape the hunter. Those types of hunts should be outlawed everywhere. It's a shame about that particular lion, but as Linda already mentioned, no lions or any other animals should be killed like that, just so some rich hunter can have a trophy to gloat about. Killing animals for food is one thing, this senseless killing to boost the egos of weak men (and women) should be banned.
 
Debby said:
What's that saying, 'ignorance of the law is no excuse'? That dentist was a participant in an illegal act, and apparently after the cat was butchered they tried to cut the collar off of it! So he's involved, he's guilty.

And aside from that, bow hunting?!!!! For forty hours that poor animal wandered through the bush with an arrow stuck in his body! Can you imagine how he suffered? Personally, I hope his practise dies as surely as his victims do. And maybe his kids will learn something from this experience, that 'your meanest, cruelest actions have consequences that are far from pleasant'.
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Well said Debby, I wish the bastard all the bad luck he has earned.
 
Jump to conclusions. I'm disgusted. I saw this on CNN last night and had to change the channel. I'm still ill inside. This is sick what someone does with their money. This is what gives someone pleasure? What happens to this person I have no control over. I think they are gross. I hope many stop going to his practice. I sure would.

This isn't sport.
 
Everytime I see this guy's pictures, I just think of those kids who grew up to be serial killers, you know the ones who got a kick out of killing people's pets. Not saying that's one of his hidden sports, but, just a vibe I get when I look into that face and faces of people who have such smiles of those who kill for sport. I've been so completely horrified ever since seeing and hearing all the stories about this hunt and others like it, but especially this one of late. Unfortunately, there are many in his camp who see no problem with doing such things and worse; it is in their nature right or wrong depending on one's perspective.
 
Big game hunting should be a thing of the past along with circuses. It's hard to believe intelligent educated people still do this and that such a beautiful animal could be executed in such a way. Perhaps the negative publicity will diminish this dentist's practice. I wouldn't go to him after learning this. Would you?
 
The killer-dentist has gone into hiding says the news this morning. He sent an email to his patients explaining something about the business being interrupted.

How does it feel to be hunted Dr. Palmer?
 

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