A Canadian couple happily kissed as they posed for a photo next to a lion they had just killed while on a safari in South Africa. Darren and Carolyn Carter, from Edmonton, Alberta, were taking part in a tour organised by Legelela Safaris when they shot and killed the magnificent creature.



Darren and Carolyn Carter, from Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, posed for a kissing photo next to a lion they had just shot dead in South Africa


The tour operator regularly shares snaps of dead animals alongside proud hunters, often grinning as they hold up their guns, on their Facebook page. Underneath the kissing photo, they wrote:

'Hard work in the hot Kalahari sun...well done. A monster lion.'


Other photos show the same couple in front of another dead lion, captioned: 'There is nothing like hunting the king of the jungle in the sands of the Kalahari. 


'Well done to the happy huntress and the team...' 


The pair, who run a taxidermy business, have described themselves as 'passionate conservationists' despite taking part in hunts, reports the Mirror.


Mr Carter told the Mirror:

'We aren’t interested in commenting on that at all. It’s too political.'


Eduardo Goncalves, the founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, believes the lions were captive and bred for the sole purpose of being killed by hunters. He added:

'It looks as though this lion was a tame animal killed in an enclosure, bred for the sole purpose of being the subject of a smug selfie. This couple should be utterly ashamed of themselves, not showing off and snogging for the cameras.'


Legelela Safaris charges £2,400 for giraffe hunts and £2,000 for zebra. They also offer leopard, elephant, rhino and lion hunts. The news comes after Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he wants to ban big-game hunters bringing back trophies from their kills.