Sabrina Corgatelli Defends Killing Giraffe: ‘They Are Very Dangerous Animals’

Idaho trophy hunter Sabrina Corgatelli posted photos of a giraffe and other animals that she killed during an African safari. Now, she’s receiving her own share of backlash.

Corgatelli has been sharing the very graphic photos on her Facebook page. The self-proclaimed huntress recently shared a photo of a grown giraffe she killed during her hunting trip at South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Her excuse for killing the giraffe? Sabrina thinks they “are very dangerous animals.” During her interview with the Today show, Sabrina defended herself against the backlash she received over her controversial hunting posts.

“To me it’s not just killing an animal, it’s the hunt. There’s a lot of personal things in my life that have happened recently that have added to that. I won’t get into that or disclose those feelings. Everybody just thinks we’re coldhearted killers, and it’s not that. There is connection with 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.”

Some wildlife activists would argue that giraffes are, in fact, very friendly creatures if approached cautiously and carefully. Of course, most are going to be highly protective of their young. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, there are less than 80,000 left on the planet, and the numbers are dropping at a constant rate, all because of the trophy hunters.

That’s not all that Corgatelli killed during her expedition. She also shared photos of herself with a kudu, an impala, a warthog, and a wildebeest. Corgatelli also has a special message to the “haters” that come to her Facebook page.

“To all the haters, stay tuned, you’re gonna have so much to be p***ed” about.”

Meanwhile, online trolls took it a little further by exposing Sabrina’s personal information, including her address and place of work. She says that even though she fears for the safety of her own life, she’s not fazed by the controversy.

“Everything I’ve done here is legal, so how can you fault somebody because of their hobbies? How can an employer chastise you for something you do on your personal time that’s legally done?”

Sabrina Corgatelli is not the only female hunter who’s received comments from trolls on Facebook. Back in April, 2015, Rebecca Francis, from Utah, received death threats after sharing photos of herself with a dead baby giraffe. Rebecca’s excuse for killing the animal was that the animal was going to die eventually.

As Corgatelli and Francis proudly display their hunting photos on Facebook, former Minnesota dentist Walter J. Palmer has gone into hiding after it was revealed that he shot and killed Cecil, one of the last five endangered lions in Zimbabwe. Palmer shot the beloved animal without a permit.

Walter may face charges in Zimbabwe for his illegal hunt. Sabrina Corgatelli still believes that what she does is legal and sound.

Do you think the outrage over Cecil the Lion has made other trophy hunters become more loud and proud on social media? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

[Image: Scott Olson / Getty Images]