Cecil the lion’s brother, Jericho, may have been killed

“Unfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin”, Muchinguri said at a news conference. Palmer has said he relied on his guides to ensure the hunt was legal.

Lawyer Alec Muchadehama said no American had been extradited to Zimbabwe since the treaty was signed, and that Harare would face legal and political hurdles with Palmer.

Muvhiringi said only after Palmer had killed Cecil did they realize this was a known lion who was wearing a Global Positioning System tracking collar.

“There has been an outcry”, Muchinguri said.

A White House petition has also requested that Palmer be extradited. “Police should take the first step to approach the prosecutor general who will approach the Americans”.

The Cabinet minister said both Palmer and professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst violated the Parks and Wildlife Act, which controls the use of bow and arrow hunting.

Jericho was gunned down by a hunter operating illegally, said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

American Pharoah turned on the speed in the stretch and easily won the $1.75 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday in his first race since sweeping the Triple Crown. The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe said Friday that it does not comment on extradition matters and the Zimbabwe Embassy in Washington said it had yet to receive instructions.

Muchinguri accused Palmer of “a well-orchestrated agenda which would tarnish the image of Zimbabwe and further strain the relationship between Zimbabwe and the USA”.

Palmer, a lifelong big game hunter, returned to the United States before the authorities were aware of the controversy. More broadly, Mugabe has long railed against what he calls Western meddling in Africa, saying it is an extension of the colonial rule of the past.

The brother of slain Cecil the lion, named Jericho, was killed Saturday in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, a senior park official told CNN. However, Palmer, who illegally killed Cecil the Lion, is no where to be found.

“They (U.S. courts) may actually doubt the competence of the judiciary here to try him in an objective manner, particularly given these prejudicial pronouncements that the politicians are already making”, said Muchadehama. The Associated Press has reported that prisoners in Zimbabwe rioted earlier this year because they hadn’t been served meat in three years, and that the food woes were evidence of a debilitating economic downturn that has left the government struggling to meet obligations.

Palmer, 55, is a dentist in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. “So it wasn’t his intention to kill such a famous lion”, he said.

There may be a sad new development related to Cecil the lion, according to CNN.