Two smirking huntsmen have been slammed for allegedly shooting dead a young elephant and posing with its body.
The heartbreaking photograph, shared widely on social media, shows the unidentified men hold their rifles behind their heads and grin proudly.
In the picture shared by conservationist Damian Aspinall, the elephant has a mark on his forehead, said to be a bullet wound.
Aspinall didn’t provide any details about when or where the incident took place.
But he claims the men say they acted in self defence in shooting the animal.
Te furious conservationist, whose family is famed for protecting wildlife, wrote on Instagram: “There are few things more reprehensible than trophy hunting.
“These two monsters shot not just one, but two young elephants in ‘self defence’,” he said.
“We should be doing all we can to conserve these beautiful, intelligent animals. Not shooting them down for sport.”
The men were condemned as “evil” and “vile scum” on Instagram.
“‘Self defence’ yet they’ll pose for a photo,” one user wrote.
Another posted: “Shocking – senseless- makes anyone human absolutely sick with disgust.”
One activist said: “I detest trophy hunting with a passion, and I’m appalled that our government is leaving a massive loophole in the ivory ban in the form of allowing so called trophies to be brought back.”
