The person responsible for the death of beloved Zimbabwean lion Cecil, Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, is being pummeled on social media by lion lovers and hunter haters.
Palmer, who shot the lion with a bow and arrow before a Zimbabwean professional hunter finished him off with a gun forty hours later, reportedly payed $55,000 to bribe park guards so they would allow the killing. He has since issued an apology:
But judging by the storm of internet haters, the verdict on Palmer is in, and it isn’t merciful:
Palmer has been a big game hunter for years, and has pleaded guilty for giving a false statement to authorities in a case involving the killing of a black bear.
Even Sharon Osbourne joined in, with requisite passion.
In addition to the Twitter storm, Palmer’s dentistry office has been mercilessly trashed on Yelp, with colorful, angry, and sarcastic reviews:
“Dr. Palmer is a vile, sociopathic poacher who takes pleasure in torturing and killing animals. This man should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and never allowed to practice dentistry again. Never associate with a hunter.”
“There is no amount of flavored tooth pumice or fluoride that covers up the taste of blood, especially that of innocent slaughter.”
“Here’s a shortlist of other dental offices in the area and nearby Edina that do not use your money to fund illegal non-conservation trophy hunting:”
“Here’s what I look for in a healthcare professional: a disgusting and thorough lack of compassion, sociopathic tendencies, a vile propensity for torture of the innocent, a bombastic self-importance, a demented and narcissistic sense of fun, a self-serving and egocentric disposition, a knack for betraying others’ trust, a history of lying to officials, a criminal record, and most of all a smug mug. I found all that in Dr. Walter Palmer at River Bluff Dental!”
“Weird visit. Some guy lured me into the dental chair by waving beef jerky at me. Once I sat down, Dr. Palmer viciously attacked my one cavity, but was unable to hit it with the drill.Profusely bleeding from my mouth, I fled the building and wandered the surrounding woods for a day and a half. Thankfully, I didn’t bleed out. My family would’ve been killed and eaten by my neighbors.”
Two stars.
Commenters on Quartz’s story about the case also vented on Facebook:
