Thousands sign online petition for #CecilTheLion

Thousands upon thousands of people have signed a petition demanding justice for Cecil the lion, who was killed by an American dentist named Dr. Walter Palmer during a bow-hunting trip in Zimbabwe earlier this month.

The petition, which was launched by user Ruth McD on The Petition Site on July 23, targets Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and calls on the country to stop issuing hunting permits that allow tourists to kill endangered animals, reports Mashable.

Mugabe has not yet commented on the killing.

Photo: THEPETITIONSITE

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which issues the country's hunting permits, issued a statement on Tuesday that said as the "custodian of all wild animals in Zimbabwe," it only issues those permits for "animals on quota."

"In this case," the statement read, "both the professional hunter and land owner had no permit or quota to justify the offtake of the lion

Cecil, a beloved star of the country's popular safari tours, was shot with a bow and arrow by Palmer, who paid thousands of dollars for the opportunity.

Palmer is no stranger to big game. A blog post from 2010 showcased photos of the dentist with an elk, a bobcat and a bighorn sheep.

Photo: Shows Walter Palmer with his trophy hunts. Brent Sinclair/BLOGSPOT

Cecil was no stranger to tourists. He was a popular figure in and around the park, and numerous YouTube videos show him calmly walking alongside cars in the park as people snap photos and record videos.

It took more than 40 hours for Cecil to die after he was shot. A professional hunter eventually tracked down the injured animal, shot him and removed his head and skin as trophies.

Those have since been confiscated by the authorities as evidence.

Locals involved in the hunt, including the professional guide the dentist hired as well as the owner of the land which hosted the hunt, may now face poaching charges. They are due in court Aug. 6.

Zimbabwean police reportedly said they were "looking for Palmer," but the dentist says he has not been contacted by any authorities there or in the US about the death of the lion. He says he will "assist them in any inquiries" should they get in contact.

In a statement issued Tuesday amid an uproar over the killing, Palmer said he thought "everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted."

He added that he "had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt."