This story is being updated as of 4:30 p.m. EST.
There are now conflicting reports regarding the death of Jericho, Cecil’s brother. The statement from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force has been checked and is correct in what it says. However, CNN is reporting the network has talked with an individual with Oxford University who is with the team tracking the GPS collar worn by Jericho. This person says that based on the GPS coordinates, Jericho is alive and well.
“It is with huge disgust and sadness that we have just been informed that Jericho, Cecil’s brother has been killed at 4pm today,” the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a Facebook post. “We are absolutely heart broken.”
Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, told CNN the brother of Cecil had been shot and killed by an illegal hunter. The authorities found out about Jericho’s death at 4 p.m. local time. Jericho had been taking care of Cecil’s offspring, who biologists fear will be killed by a rival male taking over the pride.
The latest killing of a protected lion occurred while Zimbabwe authorities are in the process of extraditing American dentist Walter J. Palmer, who admitted to killing Cecil, although he put the blame on the hunting group he paid $50,000 to find him a “trophy” lion to shoot.
“Unfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin,” said Zimbabwe’s environment, water, and climate minister Oppah Muchinguri, according to the AP. Muchinguri added that they want to make Palmer “accountable for his actions.”
In a statement earlier this week, Palmer said he was deeply sorry for killing Cecil, and had no idea he was a local favorite and was protected and had been collared for study. “I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits,” Palmer said in his statement. “To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.”