Dentist killer of Cecil the lion apologises as US wildlife service launches inquiry
by Jessica Elgot in London, Mahita Gajanan in New Yor from on (#FXEE)
Walter Palmer repeats his claim that he had no idea that the lion was 'a known local favourite' and says he would assist the Zimbabwean authorities
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the illegal killing of a beloved Zimbabwean lion by a Minnesota dentist, who has since found himself at the centre of an international storm.
Walter Palmer, a keen big game hunter who posts pictures of his kills on social media, is said to have paid around $50,000 (32,000) for the chance to kill Cecil, a protected 13-year-old lion famous for his majestic black-fringed mane, in Zimbabwe's Hwange national park earlier this month.
