Walter Palmer is seen standing over the carcass of a bear he killed in 2006. (Picture: Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources)

American dentist Walter Palmer illegally killed a black bear nine years before he hunted Cecil the Lion, it has been revealed.

In a series of photographs obtained through a freedom of information request by ABC, the 55-year-old can be seen grinning as he poses next to the carcass of a bear he shot during a hunt in Wisconsin in 2006.

He is wearing camouflaged hunting gear in the photographs, and the bow used to kill the bear can be seen lying next to the animal.

Palmer lied to authorities about killing the bear in 2006, but pleaded guilty to making false statements two years later – and was reportedly fined $3,000.


Cecil the Lion was killed by Walter Palmer at the beginning of July (Picture: Paula French/REX Shutterstock)

While it is thought that he had a permit to hunt a bear in a specific area of the Wisconsin woods, he reportedly lured his prey to a separate area – before offering $20,000 to three guides in order to conceal the truth about the location.



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‘As soon as the bear was killed, Palmer and the three guys he was with – guides – they agreed they would lie about it,’ US Attorney John Vaudreuil told ABC.

‘He was lying to us. He was offering to pay about $20,000 to keep the others who were in the hunt, to have them lie, so that’s a fairly aggressive cover-up.’

But while Palmer lied to authorities, the guides revealed the truth to authorities before he was later forced to admit his guilt.