Public outcry as huge elephant killed for sport in Zimbabwe
Just months after the brutal killing of Cecil the lion, another beautiful animal has been killed by a hunter.
It has been revealed that a German hunter has paid almost £40,000 to shoot one of Zimbabwe's largest elephants.
See also: Cecil the lion killer returns to dentist work
It is not currently clear where the animal, which is thought to have been 40 to 60 years old, had been living as it had not previously been seen in Gonarezhou National Park where it was killed, the Telegraph reports.
122lbs by 120 zimbabwean tusker hunted recently with legal permit that was acquired before the hunt -benefitting wild...
Posted by Game Animals of the Past and Present on Friday, 16 October 2015
The German hunter believed to have slayed the large creature has yet to be named as the hunt organiser's have refused to reveal his identity, however a photo of the man posing proudly next to his kill has been released (see above).
See also: Zimbabwe suspends big game hunting after Cecil's death
The animal is thought to have been killed on 8 October in Gonarezhou National Park as part of a 21-day game hunt which includes the renowned 'Big Five'.
William Masaba, a spokesman for Kruger National Park, told the Telegraph: "If this elephant came up from the Kruger, he would have had to go through all the communities on the edge of Gonarezhou and someone would have seen him. It's not possible.
122lbs by 120 zimbabwean tusker hunted recently with legal permit that was acquired before the hunt -benefitting wild...
Posted by Game Animals of the Past and Present on Friday, 16 October 2015
"The most disappointing thing is that when a local Zimbabwean kills an animal for food for his family, he is sentenced to between 5 and 15 years in prison but when a wealthy foreign hunter comes in and shoots an animal, he gets away with it. What message are we giving the people?"
A spokesman for South Africa's National Parks, William Masaba, has said that experts in the field are trying to identify the elephant that was killed.
The killing has been defended by the man who arranged the hunt, he claims the hunt was legal and neither he or his client have broken the law.
American dentist, Walter Palmer, was thrown into the spotlight in the summer when he killed one of Africa's most famous lions, Cecil, in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
According to NPR, Palmer will not face charges for killing the famous animal. Zimbabwe officials have decided that Palmer didn't break any hunting laws and is therefore free to return to the country as a tourist.
However, the men who accompanied Palmer did not get off so lightly. Theo Bronkhorst will be charged for allowing an illegal hunt to take place.
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