Vandals target vacation home of dentist who killed Cecil the lion

Private Investigator for the Palmer family, Walter Zalisko, of Global Investigative group in Fort Myers walks out of the home Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, at the Marco Island home of dentist Walter J. Palmer.

Image: Corey Perrine/Naples Daily News/Associated Press

 

If Walter Palmer — the Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the Lion on a Zimbabwe hunting trip — heads south to his Florida vacation home in the coming days he'll be greeted with a not-so-friendly message from animal lovers when he pulls into the driveway: "Lion Killer!"

See also: 'The Lion King' animator created a touching memorial for Cecil the lion

The garage door of Palmer's vacation home in Marco Island, Florida, was vandalized with that message spray-painted in big, blue letters on his garage door, Dave Bear, captain of the Marco Island Police, told Mashable on Wednesday. It was reported to the police Tuesday morning.
An Associated Press photograph showed what appear to be bloody pigs' feet "drenched in hot sauce" scattered across Palmer's driveway, but Bear said the police are still investigating their validity. He said he doesn't have information as to whether or not the paint has been removed, but said police have opened an investigation to find the culprit.

A driveway is shown vandalized Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, at the Marco Island home of dentist Walter J. Palmer.

Image: Corey Perrine/Naples Daily News/Associated Press

The address of his vacation home became known late last week. Others have visited it — at least one duo posted a photo of themselves "at the animal killer's vacation home" with their thumbs down standing alongside a pile of stuffed animals.
Palmer's whereabouts remain unknown. Mashable left a voicemail message for Walter Zalisko, a private investigator hired by the Palmer family, but we haven't heard back.
The dentist has been widely shamed over the past two weeks after reports emerged that he paid $55,000 to hunt Cecil, one of Africa's most famous and beloved lions, and return home with his head in early July . Palmer allegedly lured the lion out of a national park in Zimbabwe and shot the animal with a bow and arrow. It died one day later.

A sign posted on the door at River Bluff Dental in Bloomington, Minn., on Tuesday, July 28, 2015.

Image: Renee Jones Schneider/ZUMA Press/Corbis

A local hunter who assisted Palmer has been arrested and faces poaching charges.
Zimbabwe is asking the U.S. to extradite Palmer to be tried in their courts. "There has been an outcry," Oppah Muchinguri, Zimbabwe's environment, water and climate minister, told a news conference. "Almost 500,000 people are calling for his extradition and we need this support. We want him tried in Zimbabwe because he violated our laws."