Just a few days after the world was shocked by the illegal killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, word came down this weekend that his brother, Jericho, was also killed by poachers. Worse yet, there was word that he was protecting Cecil's cubs from other male lions.

Now we know that Jericho is alive and well. Conflicting reports about the death of Jericho began circulating Saturday, but by Sunday, Zimbabwean officials were saying that a photo of Jericho had been taken and his tracking collar was intact.

We also now know that Jericho and Cecil were not related by blood, but by what is called a co-operative 'coalition' in which unrelated males can form an alliance in order to "better compete with other males for territories and prides".

We're just glad that Jericho is okay, and for now, so are Cecil's cubs.

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ORIGINAL POST: Cecil the lion, who was killed by an American dentist for $55,000, had six cubs, and because their dad was killed, they were at danger of being killed by his rivals. It's the circle of life that we learned about in 'The Lion King', and it's not always pretty, kids.

It had been reported that Cecil's brother, Jericho, was protecting his cubs and lioness, but there is word from the Zimbabwean park where they lived, that Jericho was killed this afternoon by poachers.

What the hell is going on here? Why are people even allowed to get near that preserve? We don't have that many lions in the world, and we shouldn't allow humans anywhere near them. We shouldn't be looking at them, using them for tourist dollars, they should never be allowed to be hunted in any way, shape, or form.

I'm not saying that animals are any more important than humans, but for heaven's sake, this has got to stop! Yes, we are at the top of the food chain, but these animals are not used for food, they are used for trophies, and it's not right. We are not living in the bush anymore and in danger of starving if we don't kill these magnificent beasts. We need to take a hard look at ourselves and our lack of common sense and decency.

Off my soapbox. But not for long.

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