Dentist Who Slaughtered Cecil the Lion Returns to Work: 'My Patients Want Me Back'

Dr. Walter Palmer was escorted by a security guard as he returned to his Minnesota practice on Tuesday.

The dentist who killed Cecil the lion headed to work on Tuesday for the first time since he sparked international outrage.

Dr. Walter Palmer has been keeping a low profile for two months after he and his family received death threats over the hunt.

Read: Before He Hunted Cecil the Lion, American Dentist Illegally Killed This Black Bear

But on Tuesday, escorted by a security guard, he swiftly walked to the front door or his dental practice in Bloomington, Minnesota.

He was heckled by protesters as he headed inside but Jennifer Ann Wilson, a reporter for Minneapolis station KSTP, told INSIDE EDITION that officers were keeping an eye on protesters to make sure what they do isn't harrassment.

"So far everything has remained calm," she said.

The dentist arrived to messages taped on his door. They read, "Justice for Cecil" and "May you never hunt again"

Speaking to The Associated Press this weekend, he said: "I need to get back to my staff and patients, and they want me back. That’s why I’m back."

Dr. Palmer killed Cecil, who was living in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, earlier this year. The lion was being studied by Oxford University researchers at the time.

Read: Dentist Who Killed Cecil the Lion Disconnects His Phone As Protesters Swarm His Office

"If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study, obviously I wouldn't have taken it," Dr. Palmer added in The AP interview.

He has always denied any wrongdoing and maintaines he did not know the hunt was illegal and he trusted his guides.

Watch Below: Before Killing Cecil the Lion, Dentist Illegally Hunted Black Bear