Game show icon and animal activist Bob Barker is finding a bright side to the dark story of trophy hunter Walter Palmer, who is notorious for killing Cecil, the much-loved lion at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park last summer. Palmer's been back in the news of late with a series of tacky Twitter posts alluding to the animal.

Barker considers the killing of Cecil "tragic, there's no doubt about that. But if there is anything positive that came out of it, is that it got such widespread publicity — worldwide, in fact. People have learned about trophy hunting and what it really is. It painted the true picture." He adds, "Unfortunately, I think trophy hunting is pretty widespread."

In October, the Zimbabwean government declined to press charges for illegal hunting against Palmer, saying his papers were in order. Controversy remains over whether Palmer and his guide lured Cecil out of his protected area by dragging dead meat behind a vehicle. He has insisted all along that he did nothing illegal, but he does have a shady past. As reported by The New York Times, Palmer pleaded guilty in 2008 to making a false statement to federal officials in regards to a black bear that he killed.

Among the new posts from Palmer's Minnesota dental practice @riverblufdental: "Remember #CecilTheLion? Because we don't. JUSTKIDDING! Happy Friday."

Speaking of Palmer, Barker says, "This dentist — if he represents what trophy hunters are, it's a pretty sad testimonial."

At age 91, the former "Price is Right" host has spent decades fighting the good fight against mistreatment of animals. His efforts include setting up endowments for the study of animal law at Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Northwestern University, Georgetown, Columbia, Duke and the University of Virginia. Barker's tireless activities on behalf of animals earned him the designation of Honorary Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics at Oxford University a few years ago. He points out that the animal rights lobby has gone from being considered fringe to mainstream.

Somehow, he manages to keep a gentlemanly demeanor even at times, as with the Palmer case, he must feel his blood boil.

"It's taken a lot of self control on occasion, yes," he says. "I cannot understand a person who would do this.

"I'm reminded that one time, when I was doing 'Price is Right,' I went out in the audience, and this lady called out, 'Over here, Bob! I love animals, too. I'm another animal lover,' and I started toward her, and she said, 'I'm a trophy hunter,' thinking I would be very excited about that," he recalls. "I turned and said 'Oh, I think I'll talk with somebody else,' and I did. I could have gone into a speech right then. But I didn't."

He works in other ways. High on his agenda lately has been lobbying against use of what is called a bull hook in training elephants. "It's banned in Los Angeles," he says. "It's shaped like a poker, like you'd use to stoke a fire. ...They're so painful and so obviously cruel, they're banned in many cities." Barker wrote to California Governor Jerry Brown urging him to sign a bill outlawing the use of the prods throughout California. Brown did not, but Barker isn't giving up.

He believes that oftentimes, once people are made aware of cases of animal cruelty, they stand against it. He takes heart in the fact a number of airlines now refuse to transport the prey of trophy hunters. Through Cecil, "A lot of people's eyes have been opened."

Photo credit: Kolitha de Silva