The beloved animal was protecting Cecil's lion cubs after he was shot dead by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world.
Jericho is believed to have been gunned down during an illegal hunting operation in Hwange National Park on Saturday afternoon during.
Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said in a statement: 'It is with great sadness and regret that we report that Jericho was shot dead at 4pm this afternoon.
'We are absolutely heartbroken. We have no further details but will advise as soon as we know more.'
Before his death there had been concerns Jericho would not be able to hold the territory of Cecil's cubs alone and could be chased away by rival lions.
Unprotected, the lionesses and cubs are now under threat and also move away or be killed.
Last week Mr Rodrigues, told the Daily Mail Online Jericho was keeping the cubs safe from any rival males.
When contacted on Saturday a woman who answered the phone said he was too devastated to speak.
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I wonder what the laws are there for hunting game. Evidently there is a big business for these tourists, but what makes it a legal hunt?
ReplyDeleteIt's Africa.
DeleteLaws are African laws.
We should be more concerned for human life than an animals life yes it is a shame the lions were killed on illegal hunts. however a humans life should be much more important but we take it with a grain of salt when people are murdered in the big cities. Also we don't blink an eye as babies are murdered through abortion. Even when partial birth abortions are performed in the last trimester of pregnancies and the babies are born alive and thrown in trash cans to die. And now dissecting them and selling their organs. We should be irate over that instead of a lion we never heard of until last week.
ReplyDelete"Partial birth" abortion in the third trimester = delivery of non-viable preemie. Back to the topic please.
DeleteAnother liberal atheist moron
DeleteUgh-I can't even read this I'm so upset.
ReplyDeleteWhy all the hype about lions? Because the liberal news wants to take your attention away from planned parenthood and Hillary Clinton. This is how they run interference, find a story that dumb Americans will take up arms over that doesn't involve liberals.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they can't get in touch with the dentist.
ReplyDeleteI was told that it costs so much because they are paying off gov officials to allow the hunt to take place
ReplyDeleteSo their outrage is a lie
3:35 pm you left out the part where their are people hired to make big deals out of the "lion" event. Just like the black lives matter banter. It's really shows the world exactly how dumb some of us can be. Look over there👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻
ReplyDelete3:54 PM get a grip. You are making an ass of yourself. Your first world mentality does not translate to a third world county. They do not care. Stop being so damn dramatic.
ReplyDelete3:55 pegged it. Just another distraction.
ReplyDeleteSo a few guys get drunk and say lets go kill a few cats...AT THIS POINT WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE.....oh, too soon?
ReplyDeletePoachers are Sick people!!
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't their government and animal reserve protecting these lions?
ReplyDelete7:22
ReplyDelete$$$$$$$
7:22pm
ReplyDeleteWas that a serious question?
3:44 Your grandstanding and your self righteousness are ridiculous. People can be outraged over this lion just as much as they are outraged over the Planned Parenthood tapes and some even more so over the tapes. Just because someone expressed their disgust over the lion doesn't mean they didn't do so over the tapes and abortion in general.
ReplyDelete