Donald Trump Jr has sparked outrage from locals after he was accused of shooting protected ducks in a lagoon in Italy. Images showing Don Jr, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, wearing camo gear and reportedly shooting ducks in the Venice area have caused outrage. The hunt reportedly took place in December and shows the First Son illegally shooting ducks in a protected area. Video footage of the hunt was posted online by an American website called Field Ethos, which was founded by Don Jr and describes itself as a "premier lifestyle publication for the unapologetic man". Green Party politician Andrea Zanoni has now accused Don Jr of breaking a number of Italian laws and has reportedly filed a complaint with the judicial authorities.
The politician, from the Veneto region, claims that the footage shows Don Jr hunting ruddy shelduck, a protected species. Zanoni said on social media that the images show "some people, including Donald Trump Jr, killing various ducks”. Zanoni also said: “In the video, Trump Jr is seen with a ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) in the foreground – a duck that is very rare throughout Europe and protected by the European Union birds directive and Italian wildlife protection law.".
In the footage, Don Jr reportedly says: "Great morning, lots of wigeon, teal. This is actually a rather uncommon duck for the area. Not even sure what it is in English.". He then points to a duck, among at least half a dozen dead birds around him. Zanoni said he had asked the regional authorities what sanctions they intend to impose on Donald Jr. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Trump Jr said "there were countless other hunting groups present.".
Andy Surabian added: "While it's unclear whether this single duck was unintentionally shot by someone in Don's hunting group, another hunting group, or killed in a different manner and retrieved by the group's hunting dog, Don takes following all rules, regulations and conservation on his hunts very seriously and plans on fully cooperating with any investigation.". Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.
