Watch CBS News

Zimbabwe Alleges Murrysville Doctor Involved In 2nd Illegal Lion Hunt

HARARE, Zimbabwe (KDKA/AP) - Another American illegally killed a lion with a bow and arrow in Zimbabwe several months ago, authorities said Sunday amid an international outcry over the U.S. hunter accused of illegally killing a well-known lion named Cecil in early July.

Zimbabwe's National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority named the American as Jan Casimir Seski of Murrysville Pa. Its statement said Seski's illegal hunt took place in April around Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.

Seski is a well-known local gynecologic-oncologist and director for the Center for Bloodless Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital.

He's also a big game hunter as seen in some online pictures with animals killed with a bow and arrow during various safaris in Africa.

After a safari last April, Seski has been named as a suspect in an illegal death of a lion with a bow and arrow near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.

National Parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya Moyo said that Seski's name was gathered from a database.

"When hunters come into the country they fill a document stating their personal details, the amount they have paid for the hunt, the number of animals to be hunted, the species to be hunted and the area and period where that hunt is supposed to take place," she said. "The American conducted his hunt in an area where lion hunting is outlawed. The landowner who helped him with the hunt also did not have a have a quota for lion hunting."

A Zimbabwean landowner, Headman Sibanda, was arrested in the Seski case and is assisting police, the authority said.

Seski lives in a rural part of Murrysville and reportedly owns more than 100 acres. Neighbors say he's not very friendly, keeps to himself and has been known to wear a gun while on his property.

In addition to his job at AGH, Seski has several offices around the city, including one in Oakland near the University of Pittsburgh.

So far, Seski has not responded to any phone calls.

Zimbabwean authorities earlier said they will seek the extradition of Minnesota dentist Walter James Palmer, alleging he did not have authorization to kill the lion named Cecil a month ago. The lion was lured out of Hwange park and first wounded with a bow and arrow before being tracked down and shot, according to conservationists in Zimbabwe. Palmer has said he relied on his professional guides to ensure his hunt was legal.

Two Zimbabwean citizens were arrested and face charges in the case in which Palmer has been implicated.

On Saturday, Zimbabwe's wildlife authority said it had suspended the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in the Hwange area. Bow and arrow hunts were also suspended and can only be approved by the head of the wildlife authority.

Right now, there's no word whether Zimbabwe officials will try to extradite Seski.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.