Although “Eye of the Hunter” host Rebecca Francis said the photos were taken five years ago, a tweet by comedian Ricky Gervais Monday, which featured Francis smiling while lying on the ground next to a giraffe, has sparked a bitter duel over big game hunting.
“What must’ve happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling?” Gervais questioned.
Francis responded to the criticism in a statement to Hunting Life, and explainined the circumstances surrounding the picture.
When I was in Africa five years ago, I was of the mindset that I would never shoot a giraffe. I was approached toward the end of my hunt with a unique circumstance. They showed me this beautiful old bull giraffe that was wandering all alone. He had been kicked out of the herd by a younger and stronger bull. He was past his breeding years and very close to death. They asked me if I would preserve this giraffe by providing all the locals with food and other means of survival. He was inevitably going to die soon and he could either be wasted or utilized by the local people. I chose to honor his life by providing others with his uses and I do not regret it for one second. Once he was down there were people waiting to take his meat. They also took his tail to make jewelry, his bones to make other things, and did not waste a single part of him. I am grateful to be a part of something so good.
What’s your opinion? Were Mrs. Francis’ actions honorable or is big game hunting just plain wrong?
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