Trophy hunters have boasted about killing a rare large-tusked elephant in a national park in Zimbabwe, reportedly the second time the hunter has killed one of the rare elephants.
The massive elephant bull was killed by trophy hunters in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe.
The news was announced on JWK Safaris Facebook page in a now-deleted post, which said the elephant was killed on a hunt “guided by PH Nixon Dzingai,” Africa Geographic reports, and the hunter is named as Grant Taylor.
“This is an exceptional Gonarezhou trophy bull with long, thick and symmetrical tusks that are typical of the Gonarezhou and Kruger gene,” JWK Safaris wrote, adding that the tusks hadn’t been weighed yet.
This follows the killing of the largest elephant hunted in Africa in over 30 years, reportedly by the same professional hunter in 2015. The elephant’s tusks weighed 55kgs each. Photographs on JWK Safaris’ website match those shared in media reports of the 2015 kill.
The hunters claimed that had been an ethical kill because the elephant was past his breeding years, but experts said the elephant was only 35-40 years old, which is prime breeding age, Africa Geographic reported.
Their website shows numerous images of clients proudly posing with their trophies which include leopards, lions, hippos and hyenas:
Hunter holds his leopard kill.
Pic: JWK Safaris.
Hunter poses with his lion kill.
Pic: JWK Safaris.
Hunter poses with his hyena kill.
Pic: JWK Safaris.
Hunter poses with his hippo kill.
Pic: JWK Safaris.
JWK Safaris targets elephants as they roam between national parks and other land.
News of the killing provoked an angry reaction from animal lovers on social media with many calling for trophy hunting to be outlawed.