There are fears Cecil's brother Jericho has been shot dead by poachers in Zimbabwe, but others believe it could be another lion.

The beloved animal was protecting Cecil's lion cubs after he was killed by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world.

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.'

The team have said they will be able to confirm what has happened when the sun comes up on Sunday.

However conservationists from Oxford University have said his death has not been confirmed and are investigating, creating hope the majestic creature could still be alive.

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Cecil (right) the lion's brother Jerciho (left) has been shot dead in a park in Zimbabwe

There are also reports the GPS on his tag was still moving after the news broke and the animal that was slain could be part of an ongoing investigation by the park.

Shelley Cox, marketing manager of the African Bush Camps situated in Hwange said the news was false and insisted Jericho is alive and well.

Before his reported 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.

Friends of Hwange Trust, which provides water for the park's animals, also said the report appeared to be untrue, and said researchers would be out on Sunday morning 'to lay eyes on him.'

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.

Despite the initial reports, there are hopes Jericho is still alive after the team tracking his GPS said news of his death was 'utter sensationalism'.

The horrifying news came on the day the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority announced a crackdown on hunting around the park with Jericho was killed.

Palmer has admitted killing the 13-year-old predator Cecil, who was fitted with a GPS collar as part of the Oxford University study.

Jericho (top) was protecting his lion cubs after he was shot dead by Minnesota dentist, Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world

He allegedly paid $55,000 to shoot the majestic creature with a bow and arrow after allegedly luring him away from his habitat with meat.

But he said in a statement he had hired professional guides and believed all the necessary hunting permits were in order.

He has not been sighted since his identity was revealed by Zimbabwean conservationists earlier this week.

Zimbabwe has called for Palmer to be extradited from the United States after accusing him of killing the much-loved animal illegally.

Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri said the dentist should be handed over to Zimbabwean officials to face justice, adding that she understood prosecutors had started the legal process to make that happen.

Cecil's cubs are now at risk of death following Jericho's death. There were already fears he would not be able to protect their territory on his own

Referring to the 55-year-old trophy hunter from Minnesota as a 'foreign poacher', she said: 'We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he can be made accountable for his illegal actions.'

Muchinguri also said Palmer's use of a bow and arrow to kill the lion, who is said to have been lured out of Hwange National Park with bait before being shot, was in contravention of Zimbabwean hunting regulations.

Professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst insisted he did nothing wrong on the hunt that killed Cecil the lion, telling AFP he was shocked to find the animal was wearing a tracking collar.

'I don't believe I failed in any duties at all, I was engaged by a client to do a hunt for him and we shot an old male lion that I believed was past his breeding age. I don't think that I've done anything wrong,' Bronkhorst said

He said: '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.

'We were devastated... I left the collar there at the bait site and unfortunately that was stupid of me and negligent of me.'

Bronkhorst was granted bail by the Hwange court on Wednesday after being charged with 'failing to prevent an illegal hunt' when he led the expedition in early July.

Palmer, a life-long big game hunter, managed to return to the United States before the authorities were aware of the controversy around Cecil's death.

'It was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher because he had already absconded to his country of origin,' Muchinguri said.

Palmer has admitted killing the 13-year-old predator Cecil, who was fitted with a GPS collar as part of the Oxford University study

Zimbabwe has called for Palmer (left) to be extradited from the United States after accusing him of killing the much-loved animal illegally