Trophy hunter shamed and threatened on social media
A wealthy American trophy hunter is facing a harsh backlash on social media for allegedly luring a lion to its death at the Kruger National Park.
Photo for illustration only.
A trophy hunter who is believed to have lured a lion to its death at the Kruger National Park has been identified on social media as a wealthy American from Kentucky, who is facing a harsh social media backlash.
The social media justice Jared Whitworth has faced so far has included the sharing of his cellphone number and email address, along with vilification, outrage and threats.
The trophy hunter was alleged to have paid £60 000 (or more than a million rand) for the controversial kill, and kept the lion’s skin and head as trophies.
The South African professional hunter who reportedly organised the shoot, Graham Sales, is facing a much smaller, but still significant, backlash.
Conservationists fear the lion was a dominant male called Skye, the leader of the park’s western pride, who has not been seen since the hunt.
African Geographic reported the trophy hunting team had denied this, claiming the slain animal was in fact an old male lion with worn teeth and a protruding spine. However, they refused to provide a photo of the dead lion to prove their claim, citing legal and personal safety concerns.
Canned lion hunters are never popular on social media, with some believing the backlash against identified culprits could lead to the ‘sport’ being banned.
In 2015, a Minnesota dentist called Walter Palmer faced a massive backlash after he killed Cecil, a beloved lion who was a major attraction at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.
After Palmer was named as the hunter who killed Cecil, his dentist practice at the Bloomington clinic and Eden Prairie home became the focus of protests. Animal welfare groups also vandalised a holiday home Palmer owns in Florida.
The clinic was shut for weeks, eventually reopening without him.
New details emerged earlier this year that Cecil the Lion’s killers lured him out of a protected park in Zimbabwe with an elephant carcass, causing renewed outrage.
Palmer was never prosecuted for the killing of Cecil.
The hunter who killed this beautiful lion called Skye is JARED WHITWORTH from Hardingsburg, Kentucky. His business is Whitworth Tools in the same town. He is a member of Safari Club International. The South African hunting outfitter was GRAHAM SALES. Please share far and wide. pic.twitter.com/Z84rXcnUAk
— Noma 🐘🦏🐬🦁🦒 (@NomaDube) July 6, 2018
The hunter who killed this beautiful lion called Skye is JARED WHITWORTH from Hardingsburg, Kentucky. His business is Whitworth Tools in the same town. The lion was younger than six years, so that was a permit violation and he was baited, in violation of the 2007 TOPS legislation pic.twitter.com/PDM77P4tFB
— Indivisible Network 🇺🇦 (@IndivisibleNet) July 10, 2018
This beautiful, majestic beast was nothing but a trophy for hunter Jared Whitworth. One of nature's most amazing animals hunted down for sport and bragging rights . Shame on you Mr. Whitworth; Sleep lightly….Karma will balance the scales – as it always does! https://t.co/s2yd7jmR7K
— White Peony Farm (@whitepeonyfarm) July 11, 2018
#JaredWhitworth NAME AND SHAME! We want JUSTICE for #SKYE!!!! We are out for blood! pic.twitter.com/cKbvhYYSys
— Ess Elle Ess (@ANTIhunter11) July 11, 2018
TIME to arrest #JaredWhitworth too! For heinous and grievous transgressions against African Wildlife! #BanTrophyHunting #Skye pic.twitter.com/Be7akxH6ln
— Ess Elle Ess (@ANTIhunter11) July 11, 2018
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