Cecil The Lion's Brother, Jericho, Killed? Conflicting Reports

The Zimbabwe authorities said today that Cecil the Lion's brother was killed today by poachers, CNN also reported the same. However, contradictions surfaced, claiming that Jericho was in deed alive and well.

What we Know

According to CNN reports, Johnny Rodriguez, the head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force came forward to say that a hunter engaged in illegal hunting practices and gunned down Jericho the Lion, Cecil the Lion's brother. The killing reportedly occurred at 4:00 pm local time at the Hwange National Park.

Conflicting reports surfaced when Oxford University released a statement, which said that according to their research data, the lion tagged as "Jericho" was still alive and moving on the reserve as of 8:00 pm local time.

An Oxford University spokesperson stated that the research team was in the process of seeking clarification on the matter.

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The possibility of Jericho having been killed just adds to the tensions mounting in the aftermath of the illegal killing of Cecil the Lion. Cecil was killed on July 1 by dentist Walter James Palmer of Minnesota while he was taking part in and illegal hunting party with two other men. Palmer allegedly paid $50,000 to take part in the hunt, and he was accompanied by a professional hunter and the land owner of the area just outside of the national park where Cecil was lured to using an animal carcass.

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In the wake of the Lion's death, researchers and conservationists feared that Cecil's cubs would be under attack by other male lions seeking to take over the pride. Those fears were put to rest when Cecil's big brother, Jericho, came to the rescue and began protecting the cubs from being killed by other male lions; now, if it is true that Jericho has also been killed, the chances of the cubs surviving in that pride are slim to none.

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Thousands and even millions of dollars have gone into research programs and initiatives in this national reserve, Cecil, a 13-year-old lion, was one of the oldest tagged lions in the Oxford University research initiative. Will have more as the story unfolds.