American being sought for lion poaching

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwean police said Tuesday they are searching for an American hunter who allegedly shot a well-known, protected lion known as Cecil with a crossbow in a killing that has outraged conservationists and others.

Authorities Tuesday said two Zimbabwean men will appear in court for allegedly helping lure the lion outside of its protected area to kill it.

The American faces poaching charges, according to police spokeswoman Charity Charamba.

The American allegedly paid $50,000 to hunt the lion, Zimbabwean conservationists said, although the hunter and his local partners maintain they didn't know the lion they killed was protected.

Walter James Palmer was identified on Tuesday by both the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter, a name police confirmed.

"We arrested two people, and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case," said Charamba.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said Palmer is from Minnesota, and his current whereabouts were unknown.

Palmer issued a statement saying he was unaware the lion was so well known and part of a study.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt," he said, maintaining to his knowledge, everything about the hunt had been legal.