South African Farm Owner Kills Giraffe, Then Poses With Its Heart as Trophy

Since the controversial death of Cecil the lion, another new face has joined the ranks of the internet's most cancelled trophy hunters.

A few days after Valentine's Day, one Merelize van der Merwe gained online infamy after posting pictures of herself holding the giant heart of a giraffe she had recently killed.

Calling it her "BIG valentines present," it was taken after her husband arranged a game hunt as part of a romantic getaway at the Sun City resort in South Africa.

A farm owner, Van Der Merwe has claimed to have been a very proactive game hunter, claiming that she has "hunted more animals than I can count." A large, bull giraffe was apparently the next thing on her big game list and was waiting for the chance to hunt one since 2016.

The giraffe in question was an aged 17-year-old male and Van Der Merwe was informed by its owner that it was well past its prime, and had a younger alpha to take its place in the herd. Regardless of such measures, however, two subspecies of giraffe have already been listed as critically endangered in recent years.

Harsh responses from animal rights activists immediately flooded Van Der Merwe's posts minutes after they went up. 

South Africa's Sticky Game Hunting Dilemma

Despite such public outcries, however, the controversies of South African game hunting are far more complicated issues that cannot be resolved with simple social media protests. Still, Van Der Merwe's recent publicity stunt had definitely reignited this difficult-but-important conversation.

South Africa is often regarded as one of the more well-off countries on the continent, and tourism certainly plays a big part in its economy.

Thus, both conservationists and politicians are left grappling with the uncomfortable fact that much of the financial gains from successful wildlife tourism owe themselves to high-profile game hunting parties.

It also does not help that there remains poorer parts of the country where its people can easily relapse to poaching because of hard times. Any further restrictions to big game hunting can potentially hurt the best streams of income for these local communities, and more nuanced legislation must be considered to avoid long-term economic consequences that eventually harm conservation efforts.

Also read: Mom & Baby Giraffe Rescued in Months-long Operation After Being Trapped on a Sinking Island

Giraffe heart sizes and trophy hunter psychology

It is also important to consider the psychological aspect that drives many big game hunters. Van Der Merwe's Facebook critics called her displays 'shameful' and 'bloodthirsty.' Regardless, the farm owner did not disguise her sheer excitement from "roughing it again in the heat and bush."

The motivations and thought processes of game hunting have even been the subject of research in the hopes of reaching across the lines of the debate. Hunters like Van Der Merwe have a great love for the outdoors, despite their unpopular obsession with grisly animal trophies. 

So if the debate between hunters and conservationists is to be settled, hopefully a deeper dig into each side's perspectives should fuel the dialog.

Also Read: The Tall Secret Behind a Giraffe's Long Neck