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Tinashe Farawo Harare Bureau
THE government is appealing for the immediate extradition of an American dentist who killed Cecil the Lion so that he is made accountable for poaching in Zimbabwe.

Speaking to journalists in Harare yesterday, Water, Environment and Climate Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, said the killing of the popular lion in Hwange early last month was a well-coordinated activity.

The Minister spoke as more than 100,000 people signed a petition for the dentist’s extradition from the United States.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said her ministry had already approached the Prosecutor-General to process the papers for the immediate extradition of Walter Palmer.

“We’re appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he be made accountable for his illegal actions,” she said.

The minister said investigations had shown that the killing of Cecil the Lion was properly orchestrated and well financed to ensure that it succeeded.

“As we frantically try to protect our wildlife from organised gangs such as this one, there are people who command respect in society such as Palmer and Theo Bronkhorst, an experienced licensed professional hunter,” she said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Palmer and his gang connived to undermine not only the country’s laws but also international laws in illegally killing the lion.

Palmer violated the provisions of the Parks and Wildlife Act Section 66 which regulates the manner in which trophy hunts are conducted.

He violated Section 123 which controls the use of a bow and arrow for hunting and through financing an illegal hunt, while his accomplice, the land owner, violated Section 59 which controls hunting on private land in that he allowed a hunt to be conducted without quota and necessary permits.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the lion was fitted with a satellite collar as part of a research that was being done by the Hwange National Park.

She said hunting quotas are allocated on sustainable basis and permits are issued out to land owners on an annual basis.

Speaking at the same function, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director-General, Edson Chidziya, said the country had a lion population of over 2,000.

“We have a population of + or – 2,000 and I think you need to appreciate that the cats family are difficult to do a census,” he said.

Chidziya said the recent exportation of baby elephants to some parts of the world was done above board.

“You need to appreciate that our elephant population is above our carrying capacity and we were left with no option but to dispose of some of them,” he said.

Zimbabwe has more than 80,000 jumbos.

Cecil the Lion was killed on July 1 and it has sparked global outrage with demonstrations across the globe.

Zimbabwe and the United States signed an extradition agreement on July 25, 1997.

An official in the Prosecutor General’s office Allan Chifokoyo said they would apply to the relevant authorities once they receive formal reports.

“We’re waiting for the police to give us the docket because the procedure is that the police prepare the docket and forward it to the Prosecutor General and we act upon their request,” he said.

“There’ll be a warrant of apprehension to the Prosecutor General attached to the docket and the Prosecutor General will then apply to the relevant authorities.”