An American who shot dead a famous lion with a crossbow before skinning and beheading the creature has been slated for his actions.
Walter James Palmer, an American dentist, killed Cecil the Lion who was being studied by Oxford University.
Mr Palmer reportedly paid 50,000 US dollars (£32,000) to kill the lion in Zimbabwe earlier this month.
The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Mr Palmer, a professional hunter and a farm owner, tied a dead animal to a car to lure the lion out of a national park before shooting him. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later and shot dead.
The chairman of the task force, Johnny Rodrigues, said: "The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy, Jericho will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs."
Police said they had arrested two Zimbabwean men on poaching charges, and are looking for Mr Palmer in connection with the same case but said his current whereabouts were unknown. If convicted, they could face up to 15 years in prison.
Mr Palmer's actions have been widely condemned on social media.
BBC Essex broadcaster James Whale tweeted: "What has happened to #Cecil the lion is incomprehensible to anyone with a brain."
MEP Catherine Bearder wrote: "Shooting of #CecilTheLion was senseless and cruel. Both US and EU must act to #bantrophyhunting."
Another user, Spencer Tear, said: "50K paid to kill #Cecil the Lion. How sad & low can one stoop."
Comedian Ricky Gervais, a prominent animal rights campaigner, wrote: "It's not for food. It's not the shooting, or tin cans would do. It must just be the thrill of killing. Mental."