Comedian and campaigner Ricky Gervais condemned the “evil” hunters who will tomorrow bid to kill a polar bear at the annual Safari Club International Convention.
Proceeds from the auction, it is claimed, will be used to lobby the UK Government against outlawing the import of hunt specimens.
Ricky, a supporter of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, told the Mirror: “Who do these people think they are, auctioning off the lives of animals so sadists can kill them for kicks?
“Shooting an endangered polar bear to raise money like it’s some school tombola is one of the sickest things ever.
“We’re seeing polar bear numbers edging towards extinction. But they still think it’s OK to shoot them for a laugh. What planet are they on?
“They are doing it to raise funds to thwart democracy in Britain – everyone here wants to ban this trade.
“They are going to blast this poor creature to bits so someone can get an adrenaline rush and pay slick lobbyists to spin their web of deceit.”
His comments come as thousands of bloodthirsty big-game hunters stroll by when the Mirror is offered the chance “to follow in the footsteps” of dentist Walter Palmer and kill a lion.
Despite mounting global outrage over the pay-to-slay industry that sees thousands of animals slaughtered each year, for £73,000 we could execute one of the kings of the jungle.
We received sickening offers at this week’s convention, which boasts of being the world’s biggest event for trophy killers committed to conservation.
But critics say little of the millions spent by hunters goes to protecting wildlife and much of it lines the pockets of corrupt African officials.
The Las Vegas event, marking its 50th anniversary this year, is a marketplace for animal serial killers such as Palmer, who slaughtered Cecil the lion and fellow hunter Phil Smith, who killed pride leader Mopane.
The Mirror counted at least 31 lion-hunting safaris for sale. The true amount could be higher.
Over four days, SCI raises millions from 25,000 attendees who bid tens of thousands of pounds in sick auctions to kill animals – many of which are protected by international laws.
Dawid Muller, of Daggaboy Hunting Safaris, flew to Las Vegas from Namibia offering a menu of beasts to slaughter.
They included lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, sable, wildebeest, zebra, warthog and baboon. All had prices listed except the lion, whose cost was given on request.
Dawid offered the Mirror, the chance to hunt one of the big cats over 14 days for $100,000 (£73,589).
“It’s expensive,” he said. “The cost is dependent on bait… leave four or five baits, the price goes up. If you get lucky and get the lion early it can be $100,000, but it can go to $120,000.”
He said the “open hunt” would likely take place in Zambia, but we could instead buy a cut-price canned hunt, targeting a lion bred for the bullet on a private reserve in South Africa.
Fellow attendee Louis Muller – no relation to Dawid – offered hunts in Zimbabwe where both Cecil and Mopane were gunned down.
The guide, who runs Pro Safaris Africa, said it would cost “a minimum of $70,000”.
“Lion is about supply and demand,” he said. “If you look at Zimbabwe, we only shoot 30 lions a year. In southern Africa, I think there are 300 shot.
“A wild lion, the cheapest you’ll find is probably around $55,000 and, depending on the length of hunt, goes up to $150,000.”
Louis explained some of the hunts involve killing and butchering animals such as giraffes to lure in the lions.
He added: “The baiting cost is a big one. You need hippo and giraffe and stuff like that as they eat a lot of.
He boasted: “I always have a lion permit but they have sold out for two to three years.”
The Convention is a Mecca for Americans, who make up 80% of all trophy hunters. In 2017 alone, 650,000 trophies were imported to the States.
Due to Covid, the number has fallen. But now travel restrictions have eased guides told the Mirror they are being “inundated” with calls. “Hunters want to make up for lost time,” one exhibitor said. “Our reserves are rich with animals to harvest.”
Eduardo Goncalves, of the Cam-paign to Ban Trophy Hunting, told the Mirror the convention was “the world’s most shocking kill-fest”.
He said: “If there’s an animal you fancy killing for kicks, here’s the place to buy it. There’s something for every psychopath. God knows how it’s still allowed in this day and age.
“Lion numbers are in freefall, scientists warn they could be gone by 2050.
“Yet hunting companies are literally making a killing from flogging them to be snuffed out for fun. The people who run these companies and the hunters should all be jailed.”
Mr Goncalves said the SCI, which spends £10m a year on lobbying, is now “pouring money into a campaign” to block a British ban on trophies.
He said: “It has been caught hiring contractors who created a fake ‘Africans for trophy hunting’ group to influence ministers and MPs.
“Goodness knows what other dev-ious tactics SCI and its friends have up their sleeve. The only thing we can be certain of is it will be a pack of lies.”
