A trophy hunter, who was known for killing dozens of animals in South Africa, has been shot dead.
Fifty-five-year-old Riaan Naude often posed with the wild animals he killed and even made a lucrative business out of it.
Naude founded Pro Hunt Africa, which organizes paid hunting trips for tourists. Despite his controversial business, it’s not been proven if this is the reason he was killed.
Naude was found “lying with his face up” with “blood on his head and face,” on Monday, according to a police spokesperson.
Local reports state that Naude was seen exiting his car, which had allegedly overheated when a car pulled alongside him. Witnesses revealed that 2 men got out of the car and shot at Naude before fleeing the scene.
It was reported that the men also stole one of Naude’s guns before driving away.
An investigation into his killing is currently underway in South Africa, although no new information has been shared about the case as of yet.
Surprisingly, trophy hunting is still legal in South Africa, the government even shockingly raised the number of endangered animals that are allowed to be hunted per year.
This includes several critically endangered animals such as elephants, black rhinos, and leopards.
According to Humane Society International, roughly “83% of the wildlife trophies exported are captive-bred animals or non-native species, as well as “native species with no national conservation management plan.”
This hits back at the idea that hunting helps manage populations and better conservation.