It has been more than a month since Walter Palmer killed Zimbabwe's beloved Cecil the Lion, but it looks like the Minnesota dentist is ready to move on and continue with his life.
In a joint interview with the Associated Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Walter Palmer revealed that he is planning to return to his dental practice in Bloomington on Tuesday, September 8. The dentist has been in hiding since late July, a hiatus he intends to break after Labor Day.
In addition to confirming his return to River Bluff Dental, Walter Palmer spoke out about what happened during the hunt, reiterating that he believes he acted legally.
"If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study obviously I wouldn't have taken it," Palmer said. "Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion."
Palmer also offered details about what happened during the hunt. According to the dentist, he used a compound bow to shoot Cecil the Lion with an arrow from outside the borders of the park. Unfortunately, the animal did not die right away and he had to track Cecil down and killed him with another arrow the following day.
Walter Palmer's story contradicts the accounts of conservationists who claimed that Cecil the Lion suffered for more than 40 hours before the dentist used a gun to finish him off.
The untimely death of Cecil the Lion has immensely affected Walter Palmer's personal and professional life, and the dentist admits that even his family feels threatened.
"I don't understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all," he said.
However, Palmer confirms that he feels ready to go back to work with the help of his supporters.
"My staff and my patients support me and they want me back," he said.
An official in Zimbabwe have called for Walter Palmer's extradiction, however no formal steps have been taken.
