Cecil killer just saw a 'nice lion', says Jacob Zuma

South African president infuriates officials in Zimbabwe by suggesting hunter who shot animal in Hwange did not know it was 'well loved'

The South African president, Jacob Zuma, has angered conservationists in neighbouring Zimbabwe by speculating that the experienced hunter who killed Cecil just saw a "nice lion" and was unaware of the animal's importance.

Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota in the US, has claimed he was led to believe the hunt that ended in the lion's death was legal and he had no idea the big cat was "a known, local favourite" and part of a research study.