Prince William admitted supporting trophy hunting last night—just after unveiling a historic agreement aiming to stop the international trade in ivory and rhino horn. The royal was condemned after he said, “There is a place for commercial hunting in Africa as there is round the world,” although he conceded, “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.” Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation, welcomed the prince’s latest wildlife initiative but stressed that his comments on trophy hunting were ill-judged. Roberts said, “At this fragile time for so many wild animal species—elephants and rhinos in a poaching crisis, lions on a downward spiral across most of the continent—we should not be speaking about trophy hunting as a conservation tool. Hunters cause suffering for individual animals and contribute to threats imperiled species face. There is no need to justify or promote trophy hunting.”
Link: Daily Mail