Jimmy Kimmel was very emotional last night as he gave a powerful monologue about the death of Cecil the lion, which was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe. The lion was lured out of his home in Hwange National Park by a dead animal that was used as bait. Once Cecil was off of the reserve, where hunting is illegal, Palmer shot the lion with a bow and arrow.
In his three-minute speech, Kimmel criticized Palmer for taking the life of a lion. "I'm honestly curious to know why a human being would feel compelled to do that," Kimmel said. "How is that fun? Is it that difficult for you to get an erection that you need to kill things that are stronger than you?"
Palmer has since gone into hiding and released a statement to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "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," he said. "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."
"Stop saying you took the animal. You take aspirin. You killed the lion. You didn't take it," Kimmel said. He then showed pictures of Palmer with other animals he killed, which included a bear, leopard and another lion. An emotional Kimmel then asked viewers to donate to the Wildlife Conservation Unite at Oxford, which studied Cecil the lion before his death.
"If you want to make this into a positive, make a donation to support them. At the very least, maybe we can show the world that not all Americans are like this jackhole," Kimmel ended.
