Prince William criticised for justifying trophy hunting

The Duke of Cambridge has come under fire from wildlife charities for arguing that trophy hunting can be justified in certain circumstances.

Prince William, who is president of United for Wildlife and patron of the Tusk Trust charity, told ITV News that "regulated, properly controlled" hunting can play a role in conservation.

"There is a place for commercial hunting in Africa as there is round the world. It's not everyone's cup of tea," he said.

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"When [an animal] is infertile, he's at the end of his life. If somebody out there wants to pay that money - and it wouldn't be me - then as long as that money goes back into protection of the species then it is a justifiable means of conserving species that are under serious threat."

The Prince added that his views were supported by "a lot of eminent conservationists out there who truly believe that there is a balance to be had here".

Asked if the controversial killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by a US tourist last year was "unforgivable", William answered: "Yes."

The UK-based charity Lion Aid was among those taking aim at the Prince for his remarks. "With likely less than 15,000 wild lions left in Africa, there is no place for commercial hunting of lions," it said.

Their view was echoed by the Born Free Foundation. "At this fragile time for so many wild animal species, we should not be speaking about trophy hunting as a conservation tool," chief executive Adam Roberts told the Daily Mail.

The issue of trophy hunting is "nuanced [and] complex", says the Daily Best's Tom Sykes, "and not one that can be made in a five-minute interview on the nightly news."

This isn't the first time the Prince has faced criticism about his attitude to hunting. Last year, he went on a deer and wild boar hunting trip in Spain a day before launching a new wildlife appeal.

"William's own passion for blood sports, and his refusal to give up the hobby, fatally weakens and undoes all his conservation work," says Sykes.