US hunter Sabrina Corgatelli criticised for carcass poses

A big-game trophy collector from Idaho has ignited a firestorm of criticism from animal-rights activists for flaunting images of herself posing with the carcasses of a giraffe and other wildlife she killed during a recent guided hunt in South Africa.

Sabrina Corgatelli, an accountant for Idaho State University, appeared on NBC’s Today show to defend trophy hunting amid mounting international outrage over last month’s killing of Cecil, Zimbabwe’s most famous lion, by an American dentist.

“Everybody thinks we’re cold-hearted killers and it’s not that,” Corgatelli said.

“There is a connection to the animal, and just because we hunt them doesn’t mean we don’t have a respect for them. Giraffes are very dangerous animals. They could hurt you seriously, very quickly.”

Corgatelli first drew attention from a series of photos circulated via her Facebook account that showed her standing proudly with various animals she bagged in South Africa, including an impala, a wart-hog, and a wildebeest.

“Day #2 I got an amazing old Giraffe. Such an amazing animal!!! I couldn’t be happier,” Corgatelli said in a caption to one image showing the slumped carcass draped around her.

Idaho State issued a statement distancing itself from the controversy, saying it was not a university matter.

The outcry surrounding Corgatelli reverberated as fallout continued over the killing of Cecil the lion.