Jericho, the alleged brother of Cecil the lion who authorities hoped would protect the slain lion's cubs, is not dead.
Not only is he not dead, but he is very much alive and was last seen devouring a giraffe carcass with a lioness from his pride, according to witnesses.
Reports of Jericho's demise began circulating Saturday after Johnny Rodrigues, head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, told CNN that the lion was killed by a hunter "operating illegally" in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.
"I'm very gutted, I'm very disappointed, I'm heartbroken," Rodrigues told USA Today. "It's just too much."
For several hours Saturday, the rest of the world also was heartbroken as news of Jericho's death spread across social media. Then, on the third hour, a miracle was visited upon lion lovers everywhere: Jericho rose (sort of).
Not only was Jericho not dead, he and Cecil were never blood brothers. In a scandalous twist that could have come from the writers of Fox's "Empire," the two males apparently had an "arrangement," one that might best be described as a domestic partnership with collectivistic undertones, according to a statement released by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit:
"They were not related though their bond was one close to brotherhood. Male lions often form what are termed co-operative 'coalitions' with unrelated males in order to better compete with other males for territories and prides. In fact 42% of male lion coalitions are genetically unrelated, though larger coalitions tend to be brothers or half-brothers. This sort of detailed understanding of lion ecology and social behaviour, which takes years of meticulous work allows conservationists to devise the most appropriate conservation strategies to conserve these iconic cats."
In an apology posted on Facebook, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force is blaming their false report on a case of "mistaken identity."
"Jericho is in fact alive and well and has adopted Cecil's cubs," the statement says. "We were given 3 separate confirmed reports last night that is was Jericho. We could not reach the research station in Hwange to verify if Jericho was indeed alive after they reported that they were receiving signal from his collar."
This week, Rodrigues told the Daily Mail that Jericho was keeping Cecil's cubs safe from rival males. He said that he suspected that the window for rivals taking over the pride and killing the cubs had passed.
American dentist Walter Palmer has admitted to shooting Cecil with a bow and arrow and injuring the lion last month, according to an account detailed by the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, a non-governmental group. After tracking the 13-year-old lion for about 40 hours, Palmer is alleged to have killed the animal with a gun. Cecil was then beheaded and skinned.
Palmer, a Minnesota resident, said Tuesday that "I deeply regret" killing "a known, local favorite" and that he relied on local guides. He said he was led to believe that the hunt was legal. "I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have," Palmer said at the time.
The Washington Post
Mon Aug 03 2015
This handout picture taken on Oct 21, 2012 and released on July 28, 2015 by the Zimbabwe National Parks agency shows a much-loved Zimbabwean lion called "Cecil." - AFP Photo
Pelajar tahfiz perlu teroka bidang teknologi
Kira-kira 200,000 pelajar tahfiz di negara ini, perlu dipastikan untuk mempunyai kemampuan dan peluang menjadi tenaga penggerak kepada umat Islam Malaysia dalam meneroka bidang yang dahulu dilihat sebagai asing., tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Perpaduan rakyat prasyarat ekonomi mampan
Tidak semua negara Islam mempunyai ruang dan kesempatan untuk terus aman dan damai, dan mempunyai peluang untuk menikmati ekonomi yang kukuh dan berkembang seperti Malaysia, tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Beliau berkata, rakyat Malaysia perlu mempunyai tekad untuk memahami maksud dan keperluan perpaduan di kalangan mereka, serta kekuatan dalaman yang seterusnya dapat dijadikan tonggak untuk negara membuat langkah seterusnya.
Beliau berkata, rakyat Malaysia perlu mempunyai tekad untuk memahami maksud dan keperluan perpaduan di kalangan mereka, serta kekuatan dalaman yang seterusnya dapat dijadikan tonggak untuk negara membuat langkah seterusnya.
Tidak perlu tergesa-gesa tukar ke lesen B - JPJ
Pemegang Lesen Memandu Malaysia (LMM) Kelas B2 dan B1 tidak perlu tergesa-gesa mendaftar Program Khas Peralihan LLM Kelas B2/B1 Kepada LMM Kelas B kerana tiada had masa ditetapkan untuk permohonan.
KPWKM teruskan lapan inisiatif bantu warga emas
Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat (KPWKM) akan terus menggerakkan lapan inisiatif utama dalam memenuhi keperluan jagaan dan sistem sokongan terhadap warga emas.
Warga emas maut ditikam anak kandung yang berhalusinasi
Seorang pesara guru maut ditikam anak kandungnya sendiri di sebuah rumah dekat Kampung Senaling, di sini, petang Sabtu.
Menurut Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Pilah, Superintendan Amran Mohd Ghani, siasatan awal mendapati warga emas berusia 65 tahun itu cuba memujuk anak lelakinya yang juga pemegang kad orang kurang upaya (OKU) mental yang dikatakan mahu membunuh diri.
Menurut Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Pilah, Superintendan Amran Mohd Ghani, siasatan awal mendapati warga emas berusia 65 tahun itu cuba memujuk anak lelakinya yang juga pemegang kad orang kurang upaya (OKU) mental yang dikatakan mahu membunuh diri.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 5 Oktober 2024.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Hezbollah lancar serangan peluru berpandu ke atas kompleks industri ketenteraan di utara Israel
Pergerakan Hezbollah di Lubnan berkata mereka telah melancarkan serangan peluru berpandu ke atas kemudahan ATA Defence Industries.
Tiada kaitan dengan pelantikan CEO MDEC, Anuar Fariz bukan adik saya - Fahmi
Menteri Komunikasi Fahmi Fadzil menyangkal dakwaan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) baharu Perbadanan Ekonomi Digital Malaysia (MDEC) Anuar Fariz Fadzil merupakan adiknya.
Israel lakukan persiapan untuk serang Iran - Laporan
Tentera Israel sedang bersiap untuk "tindakan balas besar-besaran dan ekstrem" terhadap Iran.
Laporan bercanggah tentang Jericho, 'adik' singa Cecil mati dibunuh
Selepas dikejutkan dengan pembunuhan kejam singa Cecil awal bulan ini, seekor lagi singa bernama Jericho menemui nasib yang sama pada Ahad.