Cecil the Lion with Brother Jericho - H 2015
Brent StapelkampFollowing PETA’s demand for justice in the wake of Cecil the Lion’s death, a White House petition demanding Cecil’s killer — a Minnesota dentist named Walter Palmer — be extradited to Zimbabwe has accrued 100,000 signatures and reached its signature goal in just one day.
Opened on Tuesday, the petition asks for the Secretary of State and Attorney General to take action and have Palmer “face justice” for his actions.
“Cecil the Lion, a resident of Zimbabwe’s national park, and an national icon was poached and killed this week. Media reports in the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and elsewhere have identified American Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minneapolis, MN as the poacher,” the petition reads. “He is alleged to have lured Cecil from the safety of the national park to kill him. Two of Palmer’s local accomplices are already in custody. Zimbabwe authorities now actively seeking Palmer in connection with this incident.”
Related Stories
“We urge the Secretary Of State John Kerry and the Attorney General Loretta Lynch to fully cooperate with the Zimbabwe authorities and to extradite Walter Palmer promptly at the Zimbabwe government’s request.”
Over the course of one day, the petition amassed over 100,000 signatures, reaching its goal originally targeted for Aug. 27. Currently, petitioners are still continuing to sign.
According to WhiteHouse.gov, when a petition surpasses 100,000 signatures via this official petitioning platform, the White House is required to respond.
A separate, Care2 petition has amassed nearly 500,000 signatures, asking the Zimbabwean government “to stop issuing hunting permits to kill endangered animals.”
July 29, 5:22 p.m. — Updated to reflect that the petition has reached its signature goal.
