Trophy hunter poses with the heart of the giraffe she killed, says it’s the best Valentine’s present she ever got

Killing animals for fun has always been a widely controversial topic among the wide public. Many dub trophy hunters cruel killers and are strongly against this “game” of ending the life of many times rare and endangered creatures. The hunters, on the other hand, are convinced they are only helping the process of conservation and claim that they are in fact concerned for the wildlife.

Recently, well-known trophy hunter named Merelize Van Der Merwe triggered anger at animal lovers after she posed next to a dead giraffe and then added a photo holding the animal’s heart in her hands, writing it was the best Valentine’s present she could ever hope for.

Namely, Merelize and her husband booked a romantic trip to South Africa, but once she heard of the old giraffe, she paid around $2,100 to kill it, according to Metro.

“My husband booked a trip for us to the palace of the lost city situated in Sun City for our Valentine’s weekend, but our plans changed quickly,” Merelize bragged on Facebook. “My wonderful husband knew this was my dream and fully supported me from a romantic 5-star weekend away to roughing it again in the heat and bush. I was literally like a little child for 2 weeks and counted down the days.”

Looking excited and being all smiles, Merelize described the killing as the “perfect frontal neck shot.”

Speaking to the Mirror, Merelize, whom many consider “sick” for what she is doing, said she will use the giraffe’s skin to make a rug. She also added: “I’d waited years for my own perfect bull – the older a bull gets the darker he gets. I love the skin and the fact it’s such an iconic animal for Africa.”

Convinced that she and those like her help the wildlife, she said she shows no respect for animal rights advocates and “calls them the mafia.”

“If hunting is banned, animals will become worthless and will disappear. Hunting has helped bring back a lot of species from the brink of extinction. The only people protecting these animals are trophy hunters,” Merelize said.

Dr. Mark Jones of the Born Free Foundation, on the other hand, argues against Merelize’s justification for her killings. “Trophy hunters’ claims they are concerned about wildlife conservation are highly misleading. Trophy hunting is not a conservation tool, nor does it contribute significant funds to local communities,” he says.

Most of the comments under this trophy hunter’s photos are like this one: “You are one sick individual nobody should get a thrill from ending a life. You should also respect this magnificent animal after its death , karma has a wonderful way of catching up with people when they least expect it.” Of course, there are also those, although only few, who support what Merelize is doing.