Cecil the lion’s brother, Jericho, is also illegally killed in Zimbabwe

Later Saturday afternoon, a field researcher told Reuters that despite reports from the ZCTF, Jericho is not dead.

Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, reportedly confirmed the news to CNN.

The news comes amid outrage against Walter J. Palmer, who killed Cecil in Zimbabwe on July 6. Zimbabwean authorities called it an illegal hunt.

Experts anxious that Jericho and Cecil’s cubs might be killed or run off by rival lions, but until now, Jericho had been defending the pride in the absence of his brother.

Read MoreCecil the lion: Does killing lions help save them? However, since Cecil’s killer has made his way back to the country of origin and as indicated by Zimbabwe’s environment, water and climate minister,

Oppah Muchinguri,

that it was “unfortunately it was too late” to see it through.

An investigation has been launched into the killing of another lion last month, and a man has been arrested over this case reported by officials.

Walter Palmer “had a well-orchestrated agenda which would tarnish the image of Zimbabwe and further strain the relationship between Zimbabwe and the U.S.A.”, Muchinguri said.

“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 revealed in a Facebook post. Palmer is believed to have shot the lion with a bow on July 1 outside Hwange National Park, after it was lured onto private land with a carcass of an animal laid out on a auto.

It is thought Jericho had been protecting Cecil’s cubs.

“Hunting of lions, leopards and elephants outside of Hwange National Park has been suspended with immediate effect”, Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority said in a statement. Cecil’s movements were being tracked by Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Unit.

Palmer became the subject of global attention-and the target of widespread anger-when it was revealed that he had killed and beheaded an adult male lion near a national park in Zimbabwe.

Practice manager Joanne Barella said: “We are proud to have Olly the lion as our practice mascot for the past seven years”.