Cecil the lion: Sir Roger Moore claims trophy hunting a 'sick perversion' and claims anyone with a 'conscience' is appalled by killing

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Sir Roger Moore has blasted Walter Palmer, the American dentist who killed one of Zimbabwe’s most beloved lions, and dismissed trophy hunting as a “sick perversion” that must be stopped.

Cecil the lion was reportedly lured away from his reserve and shot with a cross bow and arrow by Palmer, who then lost sight of him. He is believed to have wandered injured for 40 hours until his group discovered him and shot him dead with a gun.

News of Cecil’s death sparked outrage globally that was exacerbated when Palmer was revealed as the hunter and defended his actions, claiming he did not know the animal was protected or part of a decades-long study. Sir Roger joined a number of notable figures calling for retribution in a damning comment piece for The Telegraph.

“You'd be forgiven for thinking that behind the dentist's unnaturally white teeth is a person devoid of moral fibre, conscience or decency,” he wrote.

“Clearly, he's gunning his way through the animal kingdom, and who among us feels that we live in a civilised society while he's on the loose? He must be stopped and brought to justice."

The 87-year-old condemned trophy hunting as a “sickness” and a “perversion” and called for it to be recognised as such, claiming hunters who enjoy slaughtering animals must suffer from a mental illness.

“In a world with boundless opportunities for amusement, it's detestable that anyone would choose to get thrills from killing others who ask for nothing from life but the chance to remain alive. The animals whose lives he has so cold-heartedly snuffed out have precisely the same capacity to feel pain and suffer as we do.

“We know that we should protect the most vulnerable and helpless in society, not destroy them – much less derive pleasure from doing so. Thankfully, those of us with a conscience are appalled by the idea of gunning down animals for the sake of a thrill or a photo.”