Pittsburgh Physician Accused of Poaching Lion in Zimbabwe

American dentist Walter James Palmer admitted last week that he killed Cecil in early July.

According to multiple news outlets, Seski, 68, is an avid hunter, and photographs of him on social media purportedly show him pictured next to big game kills, including a hippo, an ostrich and a zebra. Mr. Sibanda has been arrested and is cooperating with Zimbabwean authorities.

The landowner, Honest Ndlovu, was also accused of assisting Palmer but has not been charged, Reuters reported.

The Zimbabwe government said no charges have been sought against Seski, though an investigation is continuing.

There were conflicting reports over the weekend that hunters had also shot Jericho, another male lion and a companion of Cecil’s. Zimbabwean officials say the killing of the lion was not approved and a Cabinet minister says Palmer should be extradited. Palmer has said he believed the hunt was legal.

Zimbabwe has suspended bow and arrow hunting, as well as the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants near Hwange National Park, an area popular with tourists.

“It is with great sadness and regret that we report that Jericho was shot dead at 4 p.m. this afternoon”, Johnny Rodrigues, chairman for the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, told Us in a statement. During this trip, Dr. Seski did lawfully hunt and take a lion. 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.

Trevor Lane of the Bhejane Trust, a wildlife conservation group that works with Hwange national park, said in an email to the Guardian that Jericho had been seen with a female, “probably mating”. “We’re very optimistic that Zimbabwe is going to take this matter very seriously”, Flocken said.

Up until today, Delta had accepted hunting trophies if customers provided appropriate documentation to U.S. customs officials and if the animal in question was not a protected species.

Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said American doctor Jan Casimir Seski of Murrysville, Pa., killed a lion – without approval – with a bow and arrow on land where it was not allowed.

“Our law enforcement officers are looking into the matter so that we can really understand what transpired and if what ever happened in April was illegally done”, said Prince Mupazviriho, permanent secretary of Zimbabwe’s Environment, Water and Climate Ministry.