The Zimbabwe government said Sunday that Dr. Jan Seski of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, used a bow and arrow in April to kill a lion without approval, on land where such hunting was not allowed.
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“The police are investigating all the cases reported and have arrested another suspect, Headman Sibanda, for allegedly violating the hunting regulations”, Chidziya said.
Cecil’s killer, Walter James Palmer, became one of the most hated men in the world after he lured the handsome creature out of the Hwange National Park and shot him with crossbows.
Last week, Zimbabwean professional hunter Theo Bronkhosrt was charged for failing to prevent Palmer from illegally killing Cecil.
The United States has yet to respond to Zimbabwe’s request for Palmer to be extradited to face charges over the financing of the hunt.
For now, Zimbabwe wildlife officials have suspended bow hunting and the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants.
The Associated Press called and knocked on the door at Seski’s home, which is secluded from neighbors and set back among woods in a rural area outside Pittsburgh.
So it’d seem Sibanda is in legal hot water for Seski’s lion kill rather than Palmer’s – at least for now.
ZCTF said in a statement posted on Facebook that their claim that Jericho had been killed at Hwange National Park had been a case of “mistaken identity”.
Zimbabwe is also launching a broad review of the country’s hunting industry to crack down on illegal activities, the parks authority said.
Dr Seski, a gynaecological oncologist and surgeon and a member of the Alaska Bow Hunting Society, has been pictured online with a series of dead animals including elephants, hippos, zebras, ostriches and water buffalo. “Jericho has taken over alpha male duties for the pride, and if he’s killed the animals that were once under Cecil’s watch will be unprotected in the wild”.
Officials also confirmed – despite numerous reports over the weekend – that another lion, Jericho, has not been killed but is still alive and being tracked by the organization.
“He looks alive and well to me as far as I can tell”, said Brent Stapelkamp, field researcher for the Hwange Lion Research Project which is monitoring the lion with a Global Positioning System tag.
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“He was a great guy”, Mr Dorrington said.
