Vandals scrawl “Lion killer” at home of US trophy hunter

MIAMI, USA – Vandals spray-painted the words “Lion killer” on the Florida vacation home of an American trophy hunter who killed a much-beloved big cat in Zimbabwe last month, authorities said Wednesday, August 5.

American dentist Walter Palmer continues to lie low amid international outrage over his illegal hunt of Cecil the Lion, a well-known attraction among visitors to the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

Officials said they are investigating who scrawled graffiti found Tuesday, August 4, on the garage door of his home in the wealthy Gulf Coast community of Marco Island  one of Florida’s most exclusive addresses.  

A spokesman for the Collier County sheriff’s department said vandals also scattered pickled pigs’ feet at the entrance of the million dollar residence.

Palmer, an avid trophy hunter, has not been seen in public since a furor erupted over news that he had killed the famous lion, who was wearing a tracking collar as part of an Oxford University research project.

The wealthy American reportedly paid $55,000 for the hunt, in which Cecil was lured out of the park to be killed.

Through an attorney, Palmer has apologized for killing the lion, saying he was misled by professional hunters in Zimbabwe who organized the expedition last month. – Rappler.com