Hunters who shot son of Cecil the Lion 'lied' about kill

Hunters who shot son of Cecil the Lion 'lied' about kill

Hunters who shot the son of Cecil the Lion lied about how the animal came to its death, according to British experts. 

Xanda, a six-year-old male, was killed just outside Hwange National Park in north west Zimbabwe - near the spot where Cecil died two years ago.

Those who killed him said he had wandered from a national park where hunting was banned to a reserve where it was allowed and that he had no cubs dependent on him having been ousted from the pride. 

But wildlife researchers from Oxford University who were tracking Xanda said the cubs under the big cat's watch have been left vulnerable and may be killed by the male lion that will replace him. 

The son of Cecil the Lion (pictured) has been shot dead by a big game hunter - two years after his father was killed, it has emerged

Although conceding the hunt was legal, Andrew Loverage, one of the university's Wildlife Research Conservation Unit said the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association had misrepresented information. 

Xanda was part of a pride with seven cubs and Mr Loverage told The Times: 'These cubs are too young to survive on their own and will certainly be vulnerable to infantcide.' 

He also said he warned the man allegedly responsible for the hunt, Richard Cooke, that killing the lion would be 'detrimental to the population'.  

Authorities were able to identify the animal - believed to be Cecil's oldest cub -because it had been fitted with an electronic tag.

American trophy-hunter Walter Palmer, from Minnesota, paid £45,000 to hunt and shoot Xanda's majestic father, easily recognisable by his black mane which helped make him Hwange's biggest tourist draw. 

Xanda, a six-year-old male, was killed just outside Hwange National Park in north west Zimbabwe - near the spot where Cecil died two years ago. This image, purportedly showing the animal, was posted along with a message announcing the death on the Facebook page of the Lions of Hwange National Park group

American trophy-hunter Walter Palmer (pictured centre in black t-shirt), from Minnesota, paid £45,000 to hunt and shoot the majestic Cecil, easily recognisable by his black mane and Hwange's biggest tourist draw card

The 12 year-old cat, which was found beheaded and skinned near Hwange National Park, wore a collar and was a key part of an expensive research project monitored by Oxford University.

The dentist was forced into hiding for weeks following his shooting of Cecil which prompted an international outcry. Charges against Dr Palmer were later withdrawn. 

Last year, pictures emerged showing seven of Cecil's offspring â€" five females and two males by three lioness mates â€" basking in sunshine.

But last week, it emerged that one of them, Xanda, himself a father to several young cubs, had also been killed b y a big game trophy hunter in Zimbabwe.

An image purportedly showing the animal, was posted along with a message announcing the death on the Facebook page of the Lions of Hwange National Park group.

The group said: 'Xanda is still a young father at 6.2 years old and has several young cubs. We can't believe that now, 2 years since Cecil was killed, that his oldest Cub Xanda has met the same fate.

'When will the Lions of Hwange National Park be left to live out their years as wild born free lions should...?'

Cecil (pictured) wore a collar and was a key part of an expensive research project monitored by Oxford University

The shamed dentist was forced into hiding for weeks following his shooting of Cecil which prompted an international outcry

Cecil is believed to have had seven offspring â€" five females and two males by three lioness mates. Some of them are pictured basking in the sunshine in July 2015

According to the Daily Telegraph, the man leading the shooting expedition, named as Richard Cooke from RC Safaris, found the tag on the lion's collar and handed it to researchers.

Andrew Loveridge, from the Oxford University research team is quoted as saying: 'I fitted it last October. It was monitored almost daily and we were aware that Xanda and his pride was spending a lot of time out of the park in the last six months, but there is not much we can do about that.

'Richard Cooke is one of the "good" guys. He is ethical and he returned the collar and communicated what had happened. His hunt was legal and Xanda was over six years old so it is all within the stipulated regulations.'

< p class="mol-para-with-font">Loveridge said he hoped a three-mile exclusion zone could be set up around the Hwange Park to stop hunters accidentally killing monitored lions that strayed outside its boundaries.

MailOnline has attempted to reach Mr Cooke for further comment. 

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