White House says will review 'Cecil the Lion' petition

Reuters
Protesters rally outside the River Bluff Dental clinic against the killing a famous lion in Zimbabwe, in Bloomington, Minnesota July 29, 2015. REUTERS/Eric Miller

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that it will review the public petition to extradite the American dentist who allegedly killed "Cecil," a Zimbabwean lion. The petition has exceeded the required 100,000 signatures, and the White House has said it will respond to all petitions that meet that level. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it is up to the Justice Department to respond to an extradition order. The incident is currently being investigated by Zimbabwean authorities and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.