Honest Ndlovu, the game park owner who allowed American dentist and big-game hunter Walter Palmer to hunt and kill Cecil on his land last month, has been accused by Zimbabwean courts on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
"Both the professional hunter and land owner had no permit or quota to justify the offtake of the lion and therefore are liable for the illegal hunt," the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said in a statement.
Ndlovu has become the second man to be charged with Cecil the Lion's murder, after Theo Bronkhorst, the man thought to have lured Cecil out of his home in a national park and into Ndlovu's land, where he was ultimately killed by the American dentist, reports TIME.
Bronkhorst has pleaded not guilty to charges of "failing to prevent an illegal hunt." Ndlovu, on the other hand, also denies the charges, according to his lawyer, Tonderai Mukuku. The game park owner has posted bail and is set to return to court on Sept. 18.
Palmer, however, has still not been charged for the killing of the famous lion.
The wanton killing of Cecil the Lion, a rare, black-maned 13-year-old lion who is known for his friendly disposition to visitors, has caused widespread criticism and disgust, with the international community completely condemning the act.
The ripples of Cecil's killing has affected the pride he left behind, with his cubs currently being hunted by other male lions, as HNGN previously reported.
