Outspoken singer Morrissey has taken aim at an under-fire dentist who killed a protected lion during a hunting trip in Zimbabwe.
But rocker Ted Nugent has branded the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe "a lie".
Dr Walter Palmer hit headlines around the world after he shot Cecil the lion with a crossbow earlier this month when the beast was allegedly lured out of a protected area by guides.
Several stars including Ricky Gervais, Mia Farrow, Olivia Wilde, and Tippi Hedren have spoken out to condemn the cruel killing, and now fervent animal rights campaigner Morrissey has joined the chorus of disapproval and branded Palmer "evil".
He also compared the dental surgeon to US TV presenter Melissa Bachman, who caused outrage in 2013 when she was pictured smiling and standing proudly over the corpse of a lion she had stalked and killed during a hunt in South Africa.
In a statement, the former The Smiths star writes, "What is it all about, really? So much love in such a very cruel world. I say the latter as I read about Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie in Minnesota who murdered the very beautiful and much-loved lion named Cecil, so trusting of people and leading such a contented life... How does our society produce people as evil as Walter James Palmer? Well, Melissa Bachman (also of Minnesota) got away with it, so the shootists' door swings open time and again in the United States. Kill for fun."
But Nugent is adamant the hunt was a legitimate form of animal population control.
In a post on Facebook, he writes, "The whole story is a lie. It was a wild lion from a 'park' where hunting is legal & essential beyond the park borders. All animals reproduce every year & would run out of room/food to live w/o hunting. I will write a full piece on this joke asap. God are people stupid."
When other users of the social networking site disagreed with his stance on the controversy, Nugent angered them further by branding them "ignorant".
The controversial rocker was fined US$10,000 (£6,250) in 2012 and banned from hunting in Alaska after pleading guilty to transporting an illegally killed black bear.
WENN.com / 3 News
