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| Australian state MP admits eating elephant he shot in Zimbabwe | Australian state MP admits eating elephant he shot in Zimbabwe |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A member of the New South Wales parliament belonging to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party has revealed he once shot and ate an elephant while hunting in Zimbabwe. | |
| Robert Borsak has previously admitted shooting an elephant during an African hunting tour, with a picture of the state senator kneeling beside the kill sparking controversy. | Robert Borsak has previously admitted shooting an elephant during an African hunting tour, with a picture of the state senator kneeling beside the kill sparking controversy. |
| He defends the hobby by arguing the “rogue, crop-raiding” animals are not endangered in southern Africa and are culled as part of managed programs. | He defends the hobby by arguing the “rogue, crop-raiding” animals are not endangered in southern Africa and are culled as part of managed programs. |
| Related: Kenya's new front in poaching battle: 'the future is in the hands of our communities' | Related: Kenya's new front in poaching battle: 'the future is in the hands of our communities' |
| In a late-night sitting of the state parliament on Tuesday, Borsak was railing against animal rights groups and propounding his philosophy of only eating meat he had hunted himself when a Greens MP interjected. | In a late-night sitting of the state parliament on Tuesday, Borsak was railing against animal rights groups and propounding his philosophy of only eating meat he had hunted himself when a Greens MP interjected. |
| “Did you eat the elephant?” Jeremy Buckingham asked. | “Did you eat the elephant?” Jeremy Buckingham asked. |
| “Yes,” Borsak replied, without missing a beat. | “Yes,” Borsak replied, without missing a beat. |
| He confirmed to News Corp on Wednesday that he had indeed eaten an elephant, “but not in one sitting”. | He confirmed to News Corp on Wednesday that he had indeed eaten an elephant, “but not in one sitting”. |
| Borsak said he shot the animal in Omay, a tribal area in the Zambezi Valley. He said he had eaten elephant both in dried and cured form and as fresh cuts, which he reportedly enjoyed. Though he added: “There are a lot of cuts of elephant meat I wouldn’t want to eat.” | Borsak said he shot the animal in Omay, a tribal area in the Zambezi Valley. He said he had eaten elephant both in dried and cured form and as fresh cuts, which he reportedly enjoyed. Though he added: “There are a lot of cuts of elephant meat I wouldn’t want to eat.” |
| Managed trophy hunting – where people pay to hunt large elephants populations, the fees flowing back to local communities – has been backed by groups such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, despite concerns that corruption eats away much of the revenue. | Managed trophy hunting – where people pay to hunt large elephants populations, the fees flowing back to local communities – has been backed by groups such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, despite concerns that corruption eats away much of the revenue. |
| Related: African elephants 'killed faster than they are being born' | Related: African elephants 'killed faster than they are being born' |
| According to the Zambezi Society, a conservation group, elephant populations in Zimbabwe have fallen dramatically in the past 15 years, particularly in the Middle Zambezi Valley, where last January there were around 11,500 elephants, down from 18,000 in 2001. | According to the Zambezi Society, a conservation group, elephant populations in Zimbabwe have fallen dramatically in the past 15 years, particularly in the Middle Zambezi Valley, where last January there were around 11,500 elephants, down from 18,000 in 2001. |
| Buckingham condemned Borsak’s revelation. | Buckingham condemned Borsak’s revelation. |
| “It’s sick to shoot and kill an elephant for thrills, and it’s revolting that Mr Borsak would eat the elephant,” he said. “He’s unfit for office.” | “It’s sick to shoot and kill an elephant for thrills, and it’s revolting that Mr Borsak would eat the elephant,” he said. “He’s unfit for office.” |