Cecil the lion reportedly killed by U.S. dentist Walter Palmer

AMinnesota dentist is facing a wave of internet outrage after being named as the hunter behind the death of Cecil the lion.

Walter Palmer, a dentist and avid hunter from Bloomington, Minn., was identified as the hunter who killed Cecil, a beloved and popular attraction in Zimbabwe'sHwange National Park,byThe Telegraph on Tuesday. He is thought to have paid approximately $50,000 US ($64,600 Cdn) to shoot the lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was later beheaded and skinned.

Two men, a professional hunter and a farm owner, face poaching chargesin Zimbabwe in connection to Cecil's death. Killing the lion was illegal, because thefarm owner didn't have a hunting permit, according to a joint statement from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association.

Thehuntersused a dead animal tied to their carto lure Cecil out of the national park, according to theZimbabwe Conservation TaskForce.Thetechnique is oftenemployedso that a protected animal can be"legally" killed.

Palmeris believed to have injured Cecil with his bow before tracking himfor 40 hours and finishing himoff with a gun, saidJohnny Rodrigues, chairman of the task force. The lion's skinned and headless body was found along with Cecil's tracking collar, whichRodrigues said the hunters tried to destroy. The lion had been part of a long-runningOxford University study.

Tuesday afternoon Palmer issued a statement saying he regretted that his hunt led to Cecil's death, butthattothe best of his knowledge everything about his trip was legal.

Palmer was the subject of a 2009 New York Times story about hunting a record-settingelk. The newspaperreported at the time that Palmer had pleaded guilty to making a false statement to federal wildlife officials in relation to the killing of a black bear in Wisconsin.

Photos of Palmerposing with dead animals, including a leopard and arhino, can be foundon various hunting websites.

Users on Twitter and other social media services expressed outrage at Palmer. Glenn Greenwald, the reporter behind the Edward Snowden story, was among Palmer's harshest critics, calling for his extradition to Zimbabwe.

Comedian and animal-rights activist Ricky Gervais also weighed in on the story.

Greenwald noted that Palmer's voicemail had already filled up, presumably with angry messages, and expressed his hope that the Telegraph had found the right man.

The rage directed at Palmer was not limited to his voicemail. As of Tuesday afternoon, the website for his practice was crashed, its Yelp page plastered with outraged comments and its Twitter profile deleted.

Reporters havecamped out at Palmer's office and home.

It didn't take long for many to comment that this appears to be the latest example of the swiftness with which shame is now meted out on social networks.

Tourists regularly spotted Cecil andhis characteristic mane over the past 13 years, according totheconservation groupLion Aid.

Rodrigues told CBC Radio'sAs It Happens that thedeath is a double tragedy because the male that takes Cecil's place in his pride will almost certainly kill the dead lion's cubs.Rodrigues told The Guardian that Cecil's six male cubs are likely doomed, exponentially increasing the death toll for the trophy hunt.