Woman Posing with Giraffe Heart... "Helps Preserve Wildlife Species"

Environmentalists: "Disrupting Ecosystems Causes More Harm"

A woman is smiling while holding a heart taken from the carcass of a giraffe she hunted. Photo by Merelize van der Merwe, Facebook capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A controversy has erupted after a woman in South Africa hunted a giraffe, took its heart from the carcass, and posed smiling for photos.

According to foreign media on the 20th (local time), on the 13th, in a hunting permit area in the northern part of Limpopo Province, South Africa, trophy hunter Merelize Vandermerwe (32) hunted an old male giraffe.

Vandermerwe posted on her Facebook that day, sharing several verification photos, saying, "My husband was very happy to receive a hunting permit he bought for 1,500 pounds (about 2.35 million won) as a Valentine's Day gift."

The photos showed the woman smiling brightly while holding the giraffe's heart taken from the carcass. The heart in her hand appeared to be dripping bright red blood.

Photo by Merelize van der Merwe, captured from Facebook.

Vandermerwe said that she had planned to enjoy a vacation with her husband at a 5-star hotel for Valentine's Day, but changed her plans urgently after receiving a call that she could hunt an old male black giraffe.

The woman participated in 'trophy hunting,' paying a guide to join the hunt.

This trophy hunter is known to have hunted over 500 wild animals, including lions, leopards, and elephants.

The photos quickly spread, drawing criticism for their cruelty.

Netizens who saw the photos reacted with comments such as "So cruel," "I saw the devil," "Poor giraffe," "The lying giraffe looks sad," and "It's terrifying that a human can smile holding that."

In response, Vandermerwe argued, "Trophy hunting provides funds for wildlife conservation and helps preserve species by removing old individuals."

However, environmentalists countered, "Trophy hunting is never a tool for wildlife protection and does not donate significant funds to local communities," arguing that trophy hunting disrupts ecosystems and causes adverse effects.

Animal protection activists also claimed that removing wild animals, especially large males, causes significant harm to the herd.