The brother of Cecil the lion has not been killed by hunters despite reports to the contrary, according to a conservationist.
Big cat Jericho was reportedly gunned down in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe today, but the claims were later contradicted.
Brent Stapelkamp, a field researcher for the Hwange Lion Research Project which is monitoring the lion with a GPS tag, told Reuters: "He looks alive and well to me as far as I can tell".
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force had earlier posted on Facebook: "It is with huge disgust and sadness that we have just been informed that Jericho, Cecil's brother has been killed at 4pm today.
"We are absolutely heart broken. We will update you all as soon as we have more details."
It comes after the slaughter of Cecil, which was killed illegally sparked outrage around the world.
Conservationists had suggested that Jericho was looking after Cecil's six cubs, which were likely to be killed by rival lions seeking to dominate the pride.
Zimbabwe is now seeking the extradition of American dentist Walter Palmer after claiming he had acted with others to hunt the lion illegally.
Mr Palmer, who allegedly paid 50,000 dollars (£31,900) to track and shoot the animal, has said he was unaware the lion was protected and had relied on his local guide to ensure the hunt was legal.
