‘Sick’ hunting couple slammed for smooching over corpse of dead lion

A hunting couple pictured kissing over the corpse of a slain lion they’d just killed is generating outrage and has increased calls for an end to trophy hunting.

Darren and Carolyn Carter kissed after killing a lion on a hunting tour in South Africa with Legelela Safaris, which shared the photograph on its Facebook page, which now appears to have been made private. “Well done,” it wrote. “A monster lion.”

The Carters run a taxidermy company in Edmonton, Canada. When asked about the images, they told the Mirror they “aren’t interested in commenting on that at all,” adding, “It’s too political.”

The lion appears to have been bred in captivity for the purpose of being gunned down by trophy-hunting enthusiasts. Legelela offers giraffe hunts for £2,400 and says prices for its lion, leopard and elephant tours are available on request. 

Social media users were “disgusted” and enraged by the kissing killers, with some going so far as as to say they should face the death penalty and others wishing they would be eaten by a lion.  

“I just don't get it? Why would you do this? Why? What is the point? Does it make them feel good and brave? In my eyes they are just cowardly scumbags,” one commenter wrote. “Celebrating the death, this is horrible,” another added.

Many tweeted messages backing a campaign against ‘canned hunting,’ where animals are hunted in an enclosed space. The outrage appears to be having an affect, as UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he will take steps towards banning imports of hunting trophies.

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