Less than three months after Cecil the Lion was shot dead, a German hunter has killed a large elephant with 122lb tusks in a game park in Zimbabwe.

The elephant is thought to have been the biggest shot in living memory when it was killed on October 8 in Gonarezhou National Park in south-east Zimbabwe.

The majestic animal's tusks weighed 122lb and were so big that they dragged along the ground, according to Johnny Rodrigues, chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

The German hunter was assisted by a experienced hunter who acted as his guide on the 21 day hunting trip

The animal was shot dead by a German hunter on October 8 in Gonarezhou National Park in south-east Zimbabwe

The hunter is believed to be a German national, who reportedly paid $60,000 (£39,000) for a hunting permit to shoot the colossal bull elephant as part of an organised hunt, according to The Telegraph.

He was assisted by a experienced hunter who acted as his guide on the 21 day hunting trip.

The identity of the elephant remains unknown but it is thought to have been in its mid-40s and had not been spotted in the park before it was killed.

Photos of the dead elephant and its lengthy tusks emerged on social media, drawing both praise on pro-hunting groups and anger from conservationists.

The elephant had tusks which weighed 122 pounds and is thought to have been the biggest elephant shot in living memory

The identity of the elephant remains unknown but it is thought to have been in its mid-40s and had not been spotted in the park before it was killed

Mr Rodrigues confirmed the death of the elephant.

He said it is suspected that the animal may have come from the Kruger Park in South Africa.

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'A huge elephant with tusks weighing 122 pounds was killed in Gonarezhou by a German hunter. We suspect this elephant may have come from Kruger Park,' he said.

'His tusks were so big that they dragged along the ground when he was walking,' he said.

'The most disappointing thing is that when a local Zimbabwean kills an animal for food for his family, he is sentenced to between 5 and 15 years in prison but when a wealthy foreign hunter comes in and shoots an animal, he gets away with it. What message are we giving the people?'

But Kruger spokesman William Mabasa cast doubt on the theory that the beast had originated at his park, saying: 'If this elephant came up from the Kruger, he would have had to go through all the communities on the edge of Gonarezhou and someone would have seen him. It's not possible.'

There was global outcry when Cecil the lion, a major attraction at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, was killed by US dentist Walter Palmer in July as apart of an organised hunt.

The predator was killed with a high-powered crossbow, prompting furious protesters to brand the American a 'murderer'.

Mr Palmer's dental practice in Minnesota was later forced to close temporarily as campaigners spent weeks outside.