Critics slam Trump sons over safari photos
Eric Trump, left, and Donald Trump Jr. are facing the scrutiny of critics after a video slideshow showing the pair displaying hunting trophies and animal carcasses during a 2010 African safari, including the cut off tail of an elephant was made public. Credit: Getty Images
A video slideshow showing Donald Trump's sons Donald Jr. and Eric displaying hunting trophies and animal carcasses during a 2010 African safari, including the cut off tail of an elephant, has sparked criticism from animal rights groups.
"This type of trophy hunting and frivolous killing is offensive to many people," Michael Markarian, chief program and policy officer of the Humane Society of the United States told Newsday. "These privileged young men did not hunt these animals for survival or for any sort of need."
The images -- posted last month by a YouTube user who took images from the website of the safari company the Trumps hired -- gained traction when the British Web magazine Wildlife Extra wrote an article about the video.
"Like all animals, elephants, buffalo and crocodiles deserve better than to be killed and hacked apart for two young millionaires' grisly photo opportunity," said a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Donald Trump Jr. defended the hunt Monday on Twitter. "I'm a hunter, for that I make no apologies," he wrote. "I can assure you it was not wasteful. . . . The villagers were so happy for the meat which they don't often get to eat."
Donald Sr. told TMZ.com Monday, "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."
A page at the safari company's website with several photos and a long article about the brothers' hunt was taken down late Monday afternoon. When asked why it was removed, George Hinton, the U.S. representative for the company, Hunting Legends, told Newsday, "Why should it be up?"
