If US were to prosecute over Cecil the lion's slaying in Africa, what would legal basis be?
Following news that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was seeking to question a Minnesota dentist who has been linked to a high-profile lion-poaching case in Zimbabwe, Africa, observers wondered what the legal basis might be.
There is speculation that American officials may be looking for possible violations of the Lacey Act, reports Reuters.
If so, any potential prosecution would likely be an uphill battle, experts say, since the connection between the U.S. statute and illegal hunting activities in foreign countries is tenuous at best. When some portion of the slain animal is imported into the U.S., cases have been pursued here. It is also possible to prosecute an individual for conspiring to bring animal trophies into the U.S., the article explains. However, police in Zimbabwe have Cecil the lion’s remains.
Although Dr. Walter James Palmer has admitted shooting with a bow and arrow the rare 13-year-old black-maned lion known as Cecil, he has not been charged in Zimbabwe. Palmer has said he thought the hunt was legal and that he deeply regrets his role in Cecil’s death. Fish & Wildlife says Palmer’s representative voluntarily contacted the agency.
Theo Bronkhorst, the guide accused of helping Palmer shoot Cecil for a fee of $50,000, has been charged in Zimbabwe with failing to prevent the unlawful killing of the lion, reports NBC News. Bronkhorst pleaded not guilty last week and has denied any wrongdoing. An earlier NBC News article provides additional details.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “US seeks to question Minnesota dentist in shooting of Cecil the lion”
