THE sons of property tycoon Donald Trump have sparked outrage over pictures of
them posing with animals they killed in a big game hunt.
Animal rights groups have slammed Donald Trump Jr, 34, and his brother Eric,
28, for killing creatures including an elephant, a crocodile, a civet cat, a
kudu and a waterbuck.
One image shows Eric holding a dead leopard as he stands next to his brother.
Another shows Donald Jr holding a severed elephant’s tail in one hand and a
knife in the other.
Animal protection groups have called the hunt insensitive and grisly.
But the brothers have defended their actions, saying the meat from the animals
went to feed local villagers.
Donald Jr wrote on his Twitter page: “I have no shame. I HUNT & Eat
game. I’m a hunter, for that I make no apologies.
“I can assure you it was not wasteful. The villagers were so happy for
the meat which they don’t often get to eat. Very grateful.”
And he added: “These are not endangered animals.”
He also wrote: “As a hunter I love wildlife too. And btw I bet the money
I spend on licence fees that goes back to the animals is a lot more than the
antis give for sure.”
The furore was caused by pictures posted on the website of company Hunting
Legends, which ran the trip to Zimbabwe last year, under the heading “The
Trumps Hunt Africa”.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said: “If the young Trumps
are looking for a thrill, perhaps they should consider skydiving, bungee
jumping, or even following in their anti-hunting father’s footsteps and
taking down competing businesses, not wild animals.
“Like all animals, elephants, buffalo and crocodiles deserve better than
to be killed and hacked apart for two young millionaires’ grisly photo
opportunity.
“If the Trumps want to help villages, they have plenty of resources at
their disposal.”
And Jack Carone, of In Defence of Animals, told showbiz news website TMZ: “Would
any intelligent person feel moved to murder a magnificent elephant, then
further insult and desecrate it by hacking off his or her tail as an
additional gesture of dominance?
“Privilege has clearly not bought them the sensitivity or wisdom to view
the world as anything but their personal playground, including the imagined
entitlement to end the lives of sensitive and social animals for mere
amusement.”
The Trumps have responded by saying they are both “avid outdoorsmen (…)
with the utmost respect for nature and have always hunted in accordance with
local laws and regulations.”
Donald Jr said of the elephant tail cutting: “The villagers did that.
Apparently it’s a tradition that dates back to the ivory hunters 100 – 150
yrs ago as proof of the hunt.”
The Apprentice creator Donald Trump, 65, told TMZ: “My sons love hunting.
They’re hunters and they’ve become good at it. I am not a believer in
hunting and I’m surprised they like it.
“I know that anything they did was 100 per cent okay in terms of the
hunting community.”
