Brent Stapelkamp

The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority released a photograph of the lion named Jericho that it said was taken Sunday morning.

A statement from the authority said Jericho "is still alive and being monitored" by Brent Stapelkamp, who is following Jericho's movements with the help of a satellite collar on the lion.

The Facebook page of a group called the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Saturday that Jericho was killed.

Conservationists decided the most natural thing was to leave the bones where they were for hyenas to finish off, said Brent Stapelkamp, a lion researcher and part of a team that had tracked and studied Cecil for nine years.