Johannesburg, South Africa: Zimbabwe wildlife authorities on Sunday dismissed rumours that a second lion, known as Jericho, had been slain after the killing last month of Cecil the lion by an American trophy hunter caused a global outcry.
"The lion known as Jericho is still alive and being monitored by Brent Stapelkamp of the Lion Research Project," Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said in a statement.
"It is also important to note that Jericho is a 'coalition' partner to Cecil and not a blood related sibling," it said.
The conservation group Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force had said Saturday that it had been "informed" of the death of Jericho, described as Cecil's brother.
Stapelkamp said readings from Jericho's GPS tag indicated he was moving around as usual and appeared to be with a female.
"When I heard that report, I had a look on the computer and his movements look regular. He sent a GPS point from his collar from 8:06 p.m. (02:06 p.m. EDT). Everything looks fine," Stapelkamp told Reuters.
The announcement was swiftly picked up by global media, causing consternation among animal lovers who were outraged by Walter Palmer's killing of Zimbabwe's best-known lion, renowned for his black mane, outside Hwange park.
But the Friends of Hwange Trust urged the public to treat the ZCTF's announcement about Jericho with caution, saying the reports "appear to be untrue".
In this image taken from a November 2012 video made available by Paula French, a well-known, protected lion known as Cecil strolls around in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's wildlife minister says extradition is being sought for Walter Palmer, the American dentist who killed a Cecil. (AP)
Palmer, a wealthy Minnesota dentist, shot Cecil with a crossbow and arrow earlier this month during a hunt that cost him $55,000.
His guide, Theo Bronkhorst, has denied allegations that they spent the next 40 hours tracking the wounded animal before finishing him off with a gun. Instead he said they found the lion early the next morning and killed it with the crossbow.
Bronkhorst also strongly denied that the hunters had lured the animal out of Hwange.
Palmer, who is being investigated by the US government over Cecil's death, has apologised and said he was misled by Bronkhorst.
But Bronkhorst told AFP on Friday that they had "shot an old male lion that I believed was past his breeding age... I don't think that I've done anything wrong".
Bronkhorst, who was charged this week with "failing to prevent an illegal hunt", claimed both he and Palmer had been "devastated" when they realised Cecil was wearing a collar.
Cecil was a popular tourist draw at the park and was wearing a tracking collar as part of an Oxford University research project.
"Both I and the client were extremely devastated that this thing had a collar on because at no time did we see a collar on this lion prior to shooting it," Bronkhorst told AFP.
"We had done everything above board," he said.
"I don't foresee any jail sentence at all. I think it's been blown out of proportion by social media and I think it's been a deliberate ploy to ban all hunting.
"It has probably changed my family's life, my business, forever... We have had many, many death threats."
Zimbabwe called for Palmer's extradition as worldwide outrage over the shooting swelled. US authorities have opened a probe into the killing.
On Saturday a giant picture of Cecil was among images projected onto the Empire State Building in New York in a dazzling display designed to raise awareness about the plight of endangered animals.
Cecil the lion from Zimbabwe that was killed by an American Dentist is seen on the Empire State Building, in the 'Projecting Change on the Empire State Building' project, made by the Oscar winning director and founder of Oceanic Preservation Society Louis Psihoyos and producer Fisher Stevens in New York on August 1, 2015. (AFP)
Palmer was branded by US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel as "the most hated man in America" and has been vilified on social media globally.
He has issued a statement expressing regret at the killing but said he had no idea the lion was protected and part of a study and that he thought the hunt was legal.
He has not appeared in public.
Zimbabwe's parks authority Saturday announced restrictions on hunting around Hwange park, including an immediate suspension of the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants.
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