HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) – Two men arrested for illegally hunting a protected lion are in court on Wednesday in Zimbabwe to face poaching charges.
The Zimbabwean men – a professional hunter and a farm owner – are accused of helping an American tourist hunt the lion named Cecil.
The two appeared at the Hwange magistrate’s court, about 435 miles (700 kilometers) west of the capital Harare. Defense lawyer Givemore Muvhiringi says the proceedings have been delayed by several hours because prosecutors are “making their assessments.”
Zimbabwean police said they are looking for the American tourist, identified as Walter James Palmer, who allegedly paid $50,000 to track and kill the animal.
Palmer, a dentist living in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, said in a statement that he was unaware the lion was protected, relying on local guides to ensure a legal hunt.
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement that the farm owner did not have a hunting permit. The lion was skinned and beheaded.
The professional hunter’s license has been suspended and the trophy from the lion hunt has been confiscated, the joint statement said.
Cecil, recognizable by his black mane, was being studied by an Oxford University research program.