Cecil lion slaying: Public rage 'embarrassing,' says Manitoba hunting group

The story of the American dentist who killed a prized African lion has made headlines all over the world but the head of aManitoba hunting association calls the outrage "embarrassing."

"We're all patting ourselves on the back right now for having ruined this guy's life, all passing judgement on him, without really knowing what occurred," saidPaulTurenne, theexecutive director of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association (MLOA), whichrepresents the province's fishing, hunting and outdoor tourism operators.

For days, people have been lighting up Twitter and Facebook, raging against Palmer and sport hunting.

"To be honest, I think the public reaction is kind of embarrassing and a little bit scary," said Turenne."I actually saw that someone tweeted his home address and his home phone number which is a bit fanatical, a bit radical.

"As far as I know, this guy bought a license and, youknow, thought he was hunting legally. It's entirely possible that he bribed the guides or whatever and knew what he was doing and shot a collared animal knowingly [but] it's also entirely possible that he didn't.

"I mean, lion hunting is very common in Africa. The fact that someone shot a lion isn't news it happens in many African countries every day."

The 13-year-old lion, known as Cecil,was a local favourite among tourists and guides inZimbabwe'sHwange National Park.

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Authorities allege Walter Palmer paid two people $50,000 (US)to guide him on a lion hunt earlier this month. According toJohnnyRodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force,the men tied an animal carcass to their car to lure Cecilout of the protected area of the parkduring anighttime hunt.

Cecil wasdrawn into akill zone and denied "a chance of a fair chase,"Rodrigues said.

Palmer is allegedto have injured Cecil with his bow before tracking the animal for 40 hours and finishing him off with a gun. The lion's skinned and headless body was found along with a tracking collarCecil wore as part of a long-runningOxford University study.

The hunters allegedly tried to destroy the device but it continued to transmit, which helped authorities find Cecil'sbody.

Walter has sincegone into hiding and temporarily closed his dental practice in the face of protests at theclinic.

He issued a statement Tuesdaysaying he regretted that his hunt led to Cecil's death, but that tothebestof his knowledge everything about his trip was legal.

Defending the hunt

In the face of all the condemnation, some hunters aredefending the huntasa way to preserve the lion population andas aneconomic benefitfor villages in Africa.

John Martins, owner of the Florida-basedDiscount African Hunts, ahunting broker company thatspecializesin African safaris, said lions pose a threat to the villagers and their precious cattle livestock.

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Villagers who perceive the animals as a threat to their children, animals or income will go out and kill them, perhaps all of them.

By having hunters come in and pay anywhere from$40,000 to $70,000 US, the threat is dealt with but the villagers also receive much needed money.

And there's more control and conservation associated with the hunt because aportion of themoney goes to the government for those efforts, as well asanti-poaching patrols, Martinssaid, noting quotas are set up by the government based on scientific research on sustainable usage.

He suggested much of the oppositioncomes from people who haven't been to Africa, haven't spent time in these remote villages and who don't understand the dynamics ofthe human/lion interactions.

Trophy hunts in Canada

Similarly, hundreds of wolves and bears are trophy hunted every year in Manitoba, as are cougars in British Columbia, said Turenne.

"A lotof it is just predator management to keep these animals way from livestock, to manage the numbers.Not a lot of people eat black bearsyou can, but the main reason we have it is so these bearsdon't get hit by carsand don't break into cottages," he said.

"In Ontario they banned the black bear hunt in the spring 15-20 years ago, and they actually brought it back last year because there are too many problem bears in Ontario."

Turenne echoed Martins comments, saying a lot ofpeopledon'tnecessarilyunderstand theZimbabwean lion-huntingregulations or the purposeof thehunt.

"Obviously the people of Zimbabwe, the government of Zimbabwe and all these other African countries have decided that for onereasonor another, alicensedregulated lion hunt is something that they want to have there," he said.

"A week ago, I can almostguaranteeyou, that nobody knew who Cecil the lion was, other than people inZimbabwe."