Another cub of Cecil the lion is feared dead...

... after being killed by rival male adult that is trying to take over the pride 

• Park rangers said they had seen rival male Bubesi prowling near the pride
• US dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil the lion sparking international outrage
• First cub was killed earlier last month, leaving the rest of the pride at risk 
• Cubs being cared for by uncle Jericho in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe 

By Julian Robinson and Tom Wyke for MailOnline

Published: 6 September 2015

A second cub from Cecil the lion's pride is feared dead after park rangers found it missing from its siblings in Hwange National Park, Zimbawbe. The infant lions had been adopted by their uncle Jericho after their father, Cecil, was brutally slain by American dentist Walter Palmer in July 2015.

The news comes less than a month after reports emerged that the first of Cecil's eight cubs had been killed by a rival male, known as Bubesi, looking to take over the pride. 

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Safe from harm: Cecil the lion's adorable cubs are being cared for by their late father's pride in Zimbabwe

Sleeping soundly: The infant lions have been adopted by their new pride leader, under the watchful eye of their uncle Jericho

Adorable: New images from African Bush Camps show the cubs snoozing and cautiously peering into a camera

The trio were left fatherless when US dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil the lion, sparking global outrage

It is unclear when the cub first went missing but it remains ominous news for the rest of the vulnerable cubs in the pride, according to The Mirror.  Experts have given the pride just a five-per-cent chance of survival due to the threat of a rival male taking over the pride and killing all the cubs.

Attempts have been made to shore up the security surrounding the cubs, with researchers from Oxford University attaching a tracking collar to one of the three lionesses. The collars, identical to the one fitted to Cecil, will allow rangers to monitor the progress and location of the big cats. 

Heart warming images from African Bush Camps emerged last month, showing the cubs sleeping and cautiously peering into a camera.

Palmer, left, was forced to close his Minneapolis dental practice after receiving several death threats over the killing of Cecil, right

The cubs were left without a father after Cecil (pictured) was killed by US dentist Walter Palmer

Jericho the lion, who has been caring for the cubs of slain lion Cecil, was found to be alive and well despite rumours he had been killed by poachers

The cubs were left fatherless when US dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil and hacked off his head for a trophy, sparking international outrage.  Palmer is thought to be in hiding after being unmasked as the fanatical American bow hunter who slaughtered the famed big cat. The 55-year-old was also forced to close his Minneapolis dental practice and is spending thousands of dollars a day on armed security and covert CCTV cameras after being deluged with death threats. 

The main Palmer residence in Eden Prairie, Minnesota has been closely monitored by police and has so far escaped any damage. But their vacation home in upscale Marco Island, Florida was targeted last month, with vandals spraying the words 'lion killer' on his garage door and dumped pigs' feet on his driveway.

Officials in Zimbabwe, where Cecil was killed, have called for Palmer to be extradited to face trial for allegedly shooting the animal. The Animal Legal Defense Fund says it filed a complaint alleging that Palmer brought disrepute to Minnesota's dental profession and should have his license revoked. 

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