Cecil the lion's killer Walter Palmer has been spotted for the first time since he was publicly recognized as the hunter who poached and killed the beloved feline in Zimbabwe.
Temporarily closing his dental clinic in Bloomington, MN, he sent an apology email to all of his patients explaining the situation. He also stated that he didn't know about the hunt being illegal at that time.
His long letter aside, people still protested outside his office, bringing placards that accused him of being a killer. He was also publicly bashed him on social media sites. Jimmy Kimmel even insulted his manly pride on national television.
After a month of hiding, the dentist was finally found. The Telegraph reportedly spotted him back in his own hometown. His practice is said to have been reopened as well, as announced by a Twitter page claiming to be the River Bluff Dental Clinic's Twitter page.
"Today, River Bluff Dental employees and dentists are beginning to serve our loyal patients," the said clinic reportedly posted on Monday. "Dr Palmer is not on site."
According to the USA Today, no charges were made against Palmer despite Zimbabwe's request to extradite the said hunter. However, the National Prosecuting Authority reportedly failed to produce the necessary documents to follow through with the request.
On the other hand, landowner Honest Ndlovu was charged on Monday for allowing an illegal hunt on his property, The Star Tribune reported. The professional hunter, Theo Bronkhorst, who assisted Cecil the lion's killer during the expedition, was also prosecuted for "failure to prevent an illegal hunt."
Apparently, this isn't the first illegal hunt Palmer was involved in. The Telegraph was able uncover his past run-in with authorities over an alleged unauthorized killing of a black bear.
Court documents reportedly reveal that Palmer hunted the bear down in an area where he was not permitted to hunt in September 2006.
"As soon as the bear was killed, Palmer and the three guys he was with - guides - they agreed they would lie about it," John Vaudreuil, the lawyer who became involved in the case, was said to have told ABC News' 20/20, adding that he had paid off the two other hunters with $20,000 to make them lie to authorities.
However, Cecil the lion's killer wasn't able to pay off the bear guides which eventually lead him to pleading guilty to making false statements in 2008.
