In the 2014 World Cup, Belgian teenager, Axelle… I’m not even going to attempt her last name…
landed herself a modelling contract with L'Oréal after being spotted amongst the crowd in Brazil.
However, the 17-year-old’s fame was to be short lived when she posted a picture of herself
hunting with the following caption: “Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much
more important than that...this was about 1 year ago…ready to hunt Americans today
haha.” After that L'Oréal announced that they were no longer working with the teenager.
TV Presenter from Minnesota, Melissa Bachman caused mass controversy after hunting a Lion
and then posting the photo on her Twitter feed. She tweeted, “An incredible day hunting
in South Africa! Stalked inside 60-yards on this beautiful male lion. What a hunt!" She
was constantly harassed on Twitter for her actions and consequently shut down her Twitter
account. A petition on Change.org was even made asking the government of South Africa
to ban her from the country! This was not the first creature she has hunted. Besides
a Lion, Bachman has hunted many deer, turkeys, hogs, antelopes and even alligators.
19-year-old cheerleader and student at Texas Tech University, Kendell Jones, sparked public
outrage after posting several pictures on Facebook of creatures that she has hunted
whilst posing next to them. Her first hunt was that of a Rhino at the age of 13 in South
Africa and since then she has hunted many different animals across Africa including
Antelopes, White Springbok, Zebras, Hippos, Lions and even Elephants! That is a lot of
kills at a young age of 19! The photos have sparked huge outrage among animal rights activists
with two separate petitions calling for the removal of the images. Around 175,000 people
have signed a petition on AVAAZ.org and there have been a further 9000 signatures on Change.org.
Sabrina Corgatelli, faced an angry backlash after posting an image on Social Media of
her posing next to a dead giraffe that she shot. After killing the giraffe she wrote,
“Such an amazing animal!! I couldn't be any happier!! My emotion after getting him
was a feeling I will never forget!!!” Although she has been branded as “deranged” and
a “disgrace to humanity” she vows to carry on hunting. Before her trip, the defiant University
Accountant posted a meme of Leonardo DiCaprio on her wall accompanied by the message: “To
all the haters. Stay tuned, you’re gonna have so much more to be p***** off about.”
During her trip to South Africa, Sabrina hunted a kudu, an impala, a wildebeest and a warthog.
Corgatelli has even posed over the corpse of a lion, apparently slain by her boyfriend.
In July 2015 Cecil the Lion’s death triggered a massive uproar in the media. Cecil was one
of the world's most recognizable Southwest African Lion because of his rare black mane.
He was the star attraction for thousands of tourists who travel to the Hwange National
Park in Zimbabwe every year. The 13-year-old lion was brutally slaughtered by a middle-aged
Dentist from Minnesota by the name of Walter Palmer. It is believed that Palmer reportedly
paid $50,000 US dollars to a professional guide, Theo Bronkhorst, to enable him to kill
a lion. Cecil was allegedly lured out of the sanctuary where he was maimed with an arrow
from a crossbow and then tracked 40 hours later where he was killed with a rifle. He
was then skinned and his head was removed. In a statement, Palmer — who is now wanted
by Zimbabwean police — believed the hunt he was on was legal. He said, "I had no idea
that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the
end of the hunt. I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly
and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."