The Zimbabwe National Park is famous for the animals within it, namely Cecil the Lion. But a Minnesota dentist, Walter James Palmer, paid $55,000 to obtain a hunting permit and kill the lion.

According to The New York Times, Palmer has had to close his dental practice and remains unreachable about the incident.

An article on the The Telegraph says Cecil the Lion was known to many visitors of the park and he enjoyed human interaction. It seems as though the 13-year-old lion was lured out of the park by the hunting party that Palmer was a part of and killed for trophy purposes by the Minnesota doctor.

Outrage has been spread across the web and the world about this incident.

The dentist boasted about his trophy kill in a picture, which included himself alongside another man, posing proudly above the dead lion.

Conservationists not only posted outrage of the event, but also deep sorrow for the passing of the beloved lion.

"He never bothered anybody," said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. "He was one of the most beautiful animals to look at."

Palmer released a statement on the matter and claimed he did not know the animal was a local favorite, seemingly boasting ignorance of what he had done.

"In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted," Palmer's statement read. "I 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. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

It is alleged that Palmer and his party lured the lion out of the park at night to a location about a half-mile away from the protected confines of the preserve and subsequently shot him with a bow and arrow.

The lion did not die immediately and was later found the next day wounded. Palmer and his crew killed the lion and cut off his head as a trophy. They also skinned the beloved animal.

According to Fox News, Palmer has a history of illegal hunting activities. He pleaded guilty in 2008 for making false statements in regards to a bear he shot in Wisconsin, claiming it was shot elsewhere. He was given a year probation for that incident.