Darren and Carolyn Carter – two trigger happy westerners from Edmonton in Alberta, Canada recently got their claim to fame when an image of them kissing behind a lion they killed during a trophy hunt in South Africa went viral.
The photo was first shared to the Legelela Safaris Facebook page which has since been deleted, including the account itself. However, the images of the Carters are still circulating on social media, and people are outraged.
According to The Independent, there were two photos posted in total – one captioned “hard work in the hot Kalahari sun … well done. A monster lion”, and the other “there is nothing like hunting the king of the jungle.”
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Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting told The Independent that the lion looked like it was bred for the “sole purpose of being the subject of a smug selfie.” He also said the animal was likely killed in an enclosure.
Darren and Carolyn Carter. I hope this kiss makes you famous. pic.twitter.com/V2QUkZq5NB
— Danny Clayton (@DannyjClayton) July 15, 2019
While many believe that ending trophy hunting would be detrimental to other endangered species, according to Panthera, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of big cats, the lion population itself is actually threatened by trophy hunting.
A 2009 report from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, found that 600 lions are killed for sport every year. When the Carters are not trophy hunting in South Africa, they work as passionate taxidermists according to a now-deleted Instagram account.
Take a look at some of the internet’s response below and read more in the latest local news right here.
Sick couple kiss to celebrate killing magnificent lion in horrifying picture https://t.co/dLSU8qZ0wR pic.twitter.com/Uv7wbhYncP
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) July 14, 2019
— BUSHPIG (@BUSHBINT) July 15, 2019
Canadian couple happily kiss for photo as they kneel behind magnificent lion they have just killed on a hunt https://t.co/KYEoymxWmP
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) July 15, 2019
A Mirror front page I wholeheartedly agree with! Trophy hunting is sick. Photos like this of people posing with corpses of magnificent animals they’ve just shot are barbaric & cruel. Will never understand it. pic.twitter.com/X2JOZR2KOB
— Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) July 14, 2019