Donald Trump's sons African trip ignite War Over Animal Butchery

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I guess we can be assured Donald Trump's children have inherited their father's colossal "any publicity is good publicity" gene.

Donald Trump's two sons went on a big game hunt in Africa, and the carnage they wrought has triggered outrage by wildlife enthusiasts. Donald's sons -- Donald Jr. and Eric -- went on a hunting safari in Zimbabwe a year ago this month, and proudly showed off their trophy kills -- including an elephant, crocodile, kudu, civet cat and water buck. In one shot, Donald Jr. is holding a dead elephant's tail in one hand and a knife which appears to have cut off the tail in another. A wildlife enthusiast's website has just created a YouTube video of the slaughter expressing outrage. As for Donald Trump, he tells 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." Trump added, "I know that anything they did was 100% OK in terms of the hunting community."

Other photos here, beware.

Yes I know: elephants are not an endangered species in Africa, and when they go off preserves, hunters are allowed to cull the herds etc. But considering the deep pockets the Trump children have, and they could buy hundreds of pounds of Kobe beef (and have it flown in directly), or order take-out from the best steak house in New York (Peter Luger's in Brooklyn), the only thing I get from this trip is they like killing animals for the sheer fun of it (i.e. "sport"). And yeah I find this so disturbing). I'm not a PETA member, and I think some of the things they do are a bit over the top, but I can see people being legitimately bothered by what the Trump children have done, and suggesting they're assholes.

Comments

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

That photo is so staged it is pathetic.

If he HAD just sawn off the animal's tail with THAT knife does anyone think he'd be so damned clean? Am I supposed to buy this and think the Little Trumpie is really rugged? What the heck is the POINT of that photo? "Hold on, guys, I want a trophy photo but let me go back to camp and wash up and change my clothes so I don't have swarms of flies buzzing around...I can be back in three hours...four tops."

[telemann.livejournal.com]

He's pretty creepy looking on Celebrity Apprentice, he dresses like a undertaker, and that Eddie Munster hair style doesn't help matters

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I thought exactly the same thing until I noticed a smudge on his right thigh that appears to be the blood that was wiped from the knife.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of this (http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/baby-elephants-killed-for-tourist-dollars-1.1240962). Elephants being slaughtered for cash in Thailand. The sights are really gruesome there.

Having spent months living next door to them, I would say I take this like killing humans. Yes, I am biased... but so what.

They are majestic creatures, and not just in the physical sense.

All the best to Trump's sons, but they are enormous assholes...

[dwer.livejournal.com]

are these disabled elephants? Because if they're not, we can only get so invested in this story...

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

LOL

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

DQ plz

[michael barnett (from livejournal.com)]

I'm sure they're douchebags, but really... this is whatever.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Isn't Facebooks's creepy founder also notorious for going on safaris, killing wild animals and bragging about it?

[dwer.livejournal.com]

Really? He doesn't seem the outdoorsy type for me.

I know that the owner of Jimmy Johns is fond of having drugged wild beasts brought to safe compounds and shooting them there.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Only eating what he kills and all that other bullshit.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he does that too.

Best scene in "Social Network" is when Eduardo Saverin confronts creepy founder.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

Never liked trophy hunting, despite what my icons might say I'm actually good friends with some who hunt so don't get me wrong - they show respect for the environment and eat what they kill - but I cannot see what justifies having to go out and slaughter animals like elephants and civet cats because it's obvious you're just going to mount them on a wall or in a display. It's so wasteful in my opinion.

[madnecromancer.livejournal.com]

theres a special place in hell for rich assholes no doubt...

[auntiesiannan.livejournal.com]

A tragic waste in every aspect.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

He's now claiming the food from the kills was donated to hungry natives. But I don't believe that. And if he's that worried about hungry people, he could fly in a few tons of food supplies instead of hunting elephants for sport.

[ghostwes.livejournal.com]

Is it just me, or does Trump look like some kind of orange owl-like creature?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

That's a flattering photograph. On Celebrity Apprentice, he looks like a poorly badly dressed undertaker.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what them having money has to do with it. Hunting scarce big game animals for sport is wasteful no matter who is doing it, but if it's legal then it's legal. Now if they had paid someone to let them do something illegal, then it makes a difference. But sure, good evidence for them being assholes.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

what do you think.....what's more weird? the hunter or the taxidermists?

[kardashev.livejournal.com]

People who hunt animals for food do it because they have a legitimate need. However, people who hunt animals for sport do it because they have a small penis.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

we should give thanks to every animal that gives it's life so that we might eat/live. but hunting an animal for sport does not give an animal such a death :(

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

but we need to applaud the host governments . . .

ok, easy enough, i'm convinced

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Look out, Trumps, you could become the quarry!

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

The game wardens, professional hunters, bearers, drivers, waiters, concierges, etc, etc, all have to eat, too.

I wouldn't trophy hunt** but, assuming the elephants are used by someone, I don't have a big problem with it. It is a business that supports a lot of families.


**Full disclosure: I don't know many hunters who would turn down the chance to hunt Cape Buffalo. It is the most challenging and dangerous of all big game animals, an animal as vicious, cunning and vindictive as man. Even with a large bore rifle you are risking your life when you enter the tall grass.

[usekh.livejournal.com]

You know I don't think I will ever understand that mentality. That killing something for a trophy is some kind of test of manhood or the like. But hunting something that hunts you back gets at least gets an iota of respect as compared to shooting them from hides, or out of choppers.

[404.livejournal.com]

If only someone would sport hunt that thing that lives on Donald's head.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Meaningful co-existence with nature in a sense that actually benefits wildlife is incompatible with a civilization technologically advanced enough to understand how that wildlife needs to be conserved, especially if that civilization's most basic building block is agriculture.