Well. Within hours, it was revealed he'd killed Cecil, and Cecil became the poster boy for all the animals who are killed by poachers or trophy hunters. At least it wasn't a canned hunt, but it was pretty close.
Canned hunts are where animals are raised in fenced pastures, specifically for trophy hunters who want to brag about their safari or their hunt. There is little skill involved in chasing an animal around a fenced enclosure. There's no knowledge of bushcraft, no fitness required, no ability to track.
Most hunters in New Zealand hunt because they enjoy it, but they don't kill the animal for the sake of it. They use the meat, they use the hide -- they respect the animal.
Cecil was lured out of the park by the guides and Palmer took his shot once he was in open ground. Palmer has tried to claim he was misguided -- literally. He says he believed his $50,000 hunting trip was legal and properly handled; that while he's sorry he killed a much-loved local favourite, meh. You know. These things happen.
However, Palmer has form in acting illegally. In 2008, he admitted making a false statement about shooting a black bear in Wisconsin. He'd shot the bear 40 miles outside the zone where he was licensed to hunt then lied about it to a US Fish and Wildlife agent. He was eventually fined $2000 (chump change for a guy who drops $50,000 on a hunting trip) and put on probation for a year.
He also settled a sexual harassment suit out of court after his receptionist complained he had fondled her girly bits many times. So he's a piece of work, this Palmer, and it will be interesting to see if his business will recover. At present the doors to his River Bluff Dental practice remain closed, and many clients have expressed horror that the payments they've made to Palmer have financed his hunting lifestyle.
In a letter to his clients, Palmer apologised for the inconvenience of the clinic being closed because of the furore surrounding his hobby, although he made no apology for being a trophy hunter.
I have to say that watching the social media frenzy is a little unnerving. He is being hounded like a -- well, like a hunted animal. Courts administer the law. They are not necessarily places where people find justice. So social media has filled the gap.
When the court of public opinion has decided that an individual has committed a heinous crime, they cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. A book called So You've Been Publicly Shamed talks of people who have made thoughtless, insensitive posts to Twitter and Facebook and seen their lives destroyed. They lose their jobs, friends and their privacy and there is nowhere for them to hide.
I've posted that I think Palmer is a complete bastard. But I don't want to fling another rock at him. Rather, I've made a donation to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. I'd rather some good came out of this sorry story than perpetuate the hate.
Life in most African countries is tough. There are many intelligent, educated people there who know they are missing out on the opportunities and privileges we take for granted.
The conservation parks pay their rangers and guides as much as they can afford but if a man has a brilliant child he wants to put through college or a sick wife, the enormous sums offered by poachers and unscrupulous hunters must be tempting.
The people of South and East Africa need to understand that the animals hold far more value alive than dead. The people involved in the safari companies are working hard to educate their fellow citizens about conservation and preservation but there's a long way to go.
As for Palmer, the hunter has become the hunted. And I couldn't think of a more karmic retribution.
Kerre McIvor is on Newstalk ZB Monday-Thursday, 8pm-midnight.
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