The Twin Cities big-game hunter who killed a much-beloved lion in Zimbabwe during what has been called a poaching expedition ended several weeks of silence Sunday and said he will resume his Bloomington dental practice Tuesday morning in hopes of getting his professional and personal life back on track.
Walter J. Palmer, of Eden Prairie, meeting face to face in Minneapolis with two reporters for his first interview since Cecil the lion's death, fielded questions for 20 minutes about his safari hunt in early July and the passionate worldwide condemnation that has compelled him to keep a low profile.
The 55-year-old Bloomington dentist, who has yet to be charged with a crime, on Sunday also reaffirmed what he has said since he was identified by London news media six weeks ago as the hunter who took down Cecil with a compound bow: that the hunt was legal and that he and the others in his party had no clue that the lion was the revered 13-year-old with the distinctive black mane.
Palmer declined to address whether he would abide by any request, either informal or through extradition proceedings, to return to Zimbabwe to answer legal allegations.
"I have a lot of staff members at River Bluff Dental. I'm a little heartbroken at the disruption in their lives, and I'm a health professional," said the casually dressed Palmer, calm and all business, during the back and forth as attorney Joe Friedberg and a public relations consultant flanked him in what the dentist said would be his only media availability.
"I need to get back to treating my patients," the dentist continued. "My staff and my patients support me, and they want me back. That's why I'm back. I'll be coming back this week."
When Palmer was asked about the hunt itself, he cited his initial statement in defense of his actions, while Friedberg said, "Everything was done properly. This was a legal hunt for a lion in Zimbabwe. And because of the professionalism of the people who had to help him, a lion was taken."