Updated 9.05am: There are conflicting reports about the illegal shooting of another lion in Zimbabwe.

Conservationists fear that Cecil the lion’s brother, Jericho, has been gunned down by poachers.

It follows a statement earlier today from the chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, confirming Jericho has been shot dead.

However, alternative reports are suggesting the lion's movement across the Hwange National Park can still be tracked on his GPS collar.

As CNN reports, a senior park official at Hwange National Park has confirmed Jericho was killed yesterday by a hunter operating illegally.

"We have been reporting on Jericho because researchers believe he was in charge of Cecil's former pride."

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe say they have suspended the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in an area favoured by hunters following the killing of a lion popular with tourists.

The National Parks and Wildlife Authority says bow and arrow hunts have also been suspended unless they are approved by the authority's director.

An international outcry followed an American hunter's killing of a lion named Cecil that was allegedly lured out of a national park.

Zimbabwean authorities say the hunt was illegal, and are seeking the extradition of Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer.