White House Petition Urges John Kerry & Loretta Lynch to Extradite Cecil Lion Killer

Walter James Palmer is arguably one of the most hated men in America. The Minnesota dentist earned the wrath of this nation and many others, when he “hunted” and poached beloved Zimbabwe lion, Cecil. Now, Zimbabwe is calling for Palmer to face justice and Americans agree. A new White House petition, calling for Secretary Of State John Kerry and the Attorney General Loretta Lynch to extradite Palmer back to Zimbabwe.

For his part, Palmer is claiming that he didn’t knowingly do anything illegal, releasing a statement to the press (via CBS News):

"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. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

Now their is a WhiteHouse.org petition to calling for Walter James Palmer to be turned over to Zimbabwe authorites:

“Cecil the Lion, a resident of Zimbabwe's national park, and a national icon was poached and killed this week. Media reports in the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and elsewhere have identified American Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minneapolis, MN as the poacher. He is alleged to have lured Cecil from the safety of the national park to kill him. Two of Palmer's local accomplices are already in custody. Zimbabwe authorities now actively seeking Palmer in connection with this incident.

“We urge the Secretary Of State John Kerry and the Attorney General Loretta Lynch to fully cooperate with the Zimbabwe authorities and to extradite Walter Palmer promptly at the Zimbabwe government's request.”

What do you think about the White House petition? Do you think we should hand over Walter James Palmer? How do you think Palmer should be punished? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.