Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer could face charges in America for killing the lion in Zimbabwe. Oddly, though, the alleged crime that could really do Palmer in isn't the killing of an endangered animal. It's the alleged bribery of wildlife guides to gain access to his prey.
Killing a lion is not a violation of the Endangered Species Act. Under that federal law, it is illegal to wound or kill an endangered animal. But the U.S. doesn't consider the African lion to be endangered — just "threatened." And even if the lion were endangered, the Endangered Species Act probably doesn't apply to acts committed overseas. In other words, on its own, the killing isn't punishable in America.
However, Palmer didn't just stumble upon the lion: According to Zimbabwean authorities, he allegedly bribed wildlife guides $54,000 for the honor. And a federal law called the Travel Act forbids foreign travel with the intent to engage in certain "unlawful activities" overseas. One of those activities is bribery. If Palmer traveled to Zimbabwe to hunt exotic species, and planned to bribe guides if necessary to access his prey, that offense would fall within the broad scope of the Travel Act. Palmer could be prosecuted in America for it.
The second way to make Palmer answer for his alleged crimes would be to extradite him to Zimbabwe to stand trial there. Palmer's potential violation under the Travel Act is punishable by up to five years in prison under U.S. law; his alleged bribery is punishable by many years in prison in Zimbabwe.
A trial in Zimbabwe would have its benefits — namely, that the witnesses and evidence would all be close at hand. Plus, the government could prosecute Palmer for a more egregious crime: Hunting without a permit, in violation of Zimbabwe law. A trial in the U.S., on the other hand, would have the guarantees of impartiality and procedural fairness that might be lacking in Zimbabwe.
Either way, it's clear that both countries could prosecute Palmer if they wish to. The odds seem high that Palmer will see his day in court.
He has already been convicted online. Palmer's dental practice, which has been closed in recent days, has been overrun with more than 1,000 angry reviews on Yelp. "So next time you pay him for an implant, veneer, crown or cleaning — know that you are financing one animal to kill another," one reviewer wrote in from Manhattan Beach, California.
Yelp said the false reviews violated its content policies, and it was working to remove them.