Cecil The Lion's Killer Revealed As American Dentist

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks, was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal.

Walter James Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £36,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit. See the photo of the hunter after the cut.

Walt Palmer, left, and one of his many trophies