Report: La. Dentist Mistaken For Walter Palmer Getting Death Threats
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Louisiana dentist is reportedly getting death threats after being mistaken for the Minnesota trophy hunter who killed Cecil the lion.
Dr. James Palmer, of Homer, La., told KSLA-TV that his life is being threatened by people confusing him with Dr. Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who killed and beheaded the beloved lion in Zimbabwe early last month.
The death of Cecil the lion has prompted an online firestorm, forcing the Minnesota dentist to go into hiding and to temporarily close his Bloomington office. Authorities in Zimbabwe say they're seeking Walter Palmer's extradition.
Related: ALDF Calls For Revocation Of Palmer's Dental License
His business saw an avalanche of angry postings on Facebook and on Yelp after officials identified him as the one who killed the beloved, black-maned lion. Now, the Louisiana dentist mistaken for the trophy hunter is getting a taste of that online rage.
"This is a new kind of bullying I've never been exposed to," said Dottie Palmer, the dentist's wife.
She works as a hygienist in her husband's office and responds to every angry email and Facebook posting, defending her husband's innocence.
The Louisiana dentist says that while he enjoyed hunting when he was younger, he doesn't do it anymore.
"Nowadays, I more like to watch the animals than to hunt them," James Palmer told the TV station.
