Bloodthirsty trophy hunters brawl on twisted safari trips in Britain’s first-ever shooting show

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Elephant, rhino and lion-killing trips were offered at the Staffordshire County Show, where bettors were told the creatures could be ‘thrown in a pen’ to shoot if the money was right

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Disgusting trophy hunting trips to shoot down elephants, rhinos and lions in Africa were offered at the UK’s first-ever game show.

Almost 90 exhibitors took part in the two-day event. Among the Brits at the Staffordshire County Show to benefit from the bloodthirsty safaris was Venari UK, an agent offering trips to South Africa.

A representative boasted to an undercover investigator, “You can kill pretty much any species, elephants, rhinos, lions.”

But he admitted, “I’m not fucking blowing it up because that’s the shit that’s a little touchy.”

Another company, Settlers Safaris, offers tours in Africa. When asked if there was a limit to how many species you could kill, she told a Humane Society International/UK investigator: “The only limit is how much money you have.”

Venari UK was founded in 2019 and is managed by Tom Douglas, 31, from Salisbury, Wiltshire. His father Robert has a taxidermy business called RS Douglas & Sons.

A Venari UK representative admitted that some species are kept in pens until a customer pays to shoot them.

He said: “South African lions, they are basically caged lions. You tell them you want to hunt a lion, and a few weeks before you leave, they’ll throw you out…into a big pen.

“Then when you show up, you’re in a hiding place and they come in.”

Speaking of crocodiles, he recounted how a month before a hunt, “they b * d out of the lake, throw him in the back of the pickup, tied up, take him to the reservoir.”

The rep also claimed customers could sip liquor in a safari truck while hunting.

And he said animals can stay wounded for days. The Mirror and the campaign to ban trophy hunting have campaigned to stop animal skins, heads and carcasses from entering the UK. It was just a footnote in last month’s Queen’s Speech, although Tory promised to act.

Humane Society International/UK Chief Executive, Claire Bass, said: “The inquiry has exposed the somber mentality of UK trophy hunting outfitters who sell pay-to-slay trips to South Africa.

“From shooting captive-bred lions and crocodiles baited for an easy kill, to shooting animals out of a safari truck, to boasting about shooting animals while they’re drinking alcohol, the callous attitude of those who get a kick out of killing Africa’s wildlife, disgusting.”

CTBTH founder Eduardo Goncalves added: “Nine out of ten voters now want a ban. But it’s been three years since the government promised to do anything. Hundreds more animals have since died.”

Mr Douglas insisted the money from the hunts would benefit wildlife conservation in Africa.

He denied claims that crocodiles were being kept in enclosures, adding: “Some unscrupulous companies may hunt like this, the vast majority, including Venari, would not.

“Some animals may be or may have been baited by other companies in the past. This certainly doesn’t mean Venari would either do it or condone it.”

And on allegations that animals are being wounded, he stressed, “No responsible hunter intentionally causes animals to suffer and is often asked to humanely transport injured animals.” Settlers Safaris did not respond.