There have been calls for Palmer to be extradited from the United States to face the penalty for the illegal killing of the much-loved lion, who was lured out of Hwange National Park with bait before being shot, in contravention of Zimbabwean hunting regulations.
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It is feared that one of Cecil the lion’s cubs has been killed by a rival male.
Cecil the lion’s adorable cubs are being cared for by their late father’s pride in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe named Seski three days after it demanded Palmer’s extradition in connection with Cecil’s death outside Hwange National Park in July.
The lionesses had tried to protect the cubs but can’t fend off the advances of large male lions for long, the source said. Hopes were raised when it appeared that the new pride leader – Cecil’s brother Jericho – had stepped in to safeguard the young.
The footage, released by African Bush Camps, shows seven cubs and three lionesses strolling around the park.
“Jericho has now taken over another pride and has been seen with other females”, a source at the park confirmed.
Brent Stapelkamp, who leads the Hwange lion project, says big game hunting of other species is essential to conserve wildlife areas, but lions are too rare to be killed for trophies. But the government of Zimbabwe, where Cecil was killed, is doing all it can to divert attention from the real problem.
They were left fatherless when US dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil, sparking worldwide outrage.
“I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the US about this situation, but will assist them in any enquiries they may have”. To make it worse, they attempted to destroy the Global Positioning System collar he was wearing as part of an Oxford University study.
“Like many people around the world, I was extremely moved by the recent tragedy surrounding the hunting and killing of the beloved lion know as Cecil”, he wrote on his website. Palmer paid £35,000 to kill the animal, and take its head and pelt as a trophy.
The landowner, Honest Ndlovu, was also accused of assisting Palmer but has not been charged, Reuters reported.
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Zimbabwean authorities have launched a crackdown on illegal hunting since, though some have argued that hunting plays a key role in conservation and provides essential revenue and jobs.
