United States launches probe into killing of Cecil the lion

A child holds a sign at the doorway of Dr Palmer's dental clinic, protesting the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe. - Reuters

WASHINGTON: US authorities launched an investigation Thursday into the killing of a beloved lion in Zimbabwe, as the American dentist who hunted the big cat remained in hiding amid mounting global outrage.

Trophy hunter Walter Palmer killed Cecil the lion earlier this month after the feline was allegedly lured out of the Hwange National Park boundaries with a dead animal as bait.