Cecil The Lion Beamed On To Empire State Building

Cecil the lion has been projected onto the Empire State building to raise awareness about the plight of endangered animals.

The lion, whose death at the hands of a US dentist last month sparked international outcry, was among a number of animals beamed onto the New York landmark as part of the event.

It was organised to promote a Discovery Channel documentary on mass extinction.

The show came hours after a second American was accused of killing a lion during an illegal hunt in Zimbabwe.

Jan Casimir Seski, a doctor from Pennsylvania, shot the animal with a bow and arrow in April, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Headman Sibanda, a Zimbabwean landowner, has been arrested in connection with the case, which happened around Hwange National Park - the same district where Cecil was being monitored by researchers from Oxford University.

Sibanda is now assisting the police with their investigation.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean authorities have said they are looking to extradite Walter Palmer over Cecil's death on 1 July, amid claims he was not authorised to embark on the hunt.

Mr Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, claims he was told by professional guides that the hunt was legal - and the White House is now reviewing a petition, signed by more than 140,000 people, calling for him to be sent to Africa to face justice.

On Sunday morning, volunteers at Hwange National Park confirmed Cecil the Lion's "brother", Jericho, was alive and well - following inaccurate reports from Zimbabwe's Conservation Task Force that he had also been killed by poachers.

Doubt was cast over the statement when it emerged that Jericho's tracking collar had moved dozens of metres, and researchers in the region soon found him feeding on a giraffe kill.

Although Cecil and Jericho were not blood related, they had formed a bond of brotherhood - and experts believe they were part of a co-operative "coalition" so they could better compete with other males for territories and prides.

Zimbabwe has now suspended the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in the area while it investigates the lions' deaths.