Kristin Cavallari's ex Jay Cutler sparks outrage with controversial hunting safari in South Africa

Jay Cutler, former American football quarterback and ex-husband of TV personality Kristin Cavallari, is once again making headlines. This time, a hunting safari in South Africa has drawn the ire of wildlife enthusiasts, putting him in the spotlight.

The retired bodybuilder and NFL player shared a photo on his Instagram over the weekend where he was posing over a dead Sable antelope, with the caption, “Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty. Sable down.”

According to “TMZ Sports”, his prowess behind the sights of a rifle left many disgusted.

One user posted: “This is nothing to brag about.”

On Instagram, bradleyhides posted: “I went to Africa on a safari and saw the most incredible wildlife and never once thought about murdering them.”

Another posted: “Wow, Jay. You killed a wild animal in a place it’s rarely hunted and it had zero idea you were a threat.”

About Cutler’s divorce from Cavallari, one critic wrote: “I can see why Kristin left him.”

The 42-year-old was undeterred by the criticism, posting further pictures of animals he had shot on his hunting safari.

Sable antelopes are popular game for trophy hunters, but they present a risk to hunters, with many cases of injured bulls attacking and goring their attacker with their lethal horns.

While trophy hunting is widely practised in South Africa, with proponents arguing that it helps fund conservation, create jobs and thin out herds that have grown too large, animal lovers heaped scorn on Cutler, with one person sarcastically posting: “Suppeeerrrr impressive buddy.”

Dylanschmidli was among those who were impressed by his actions, posting: “Nice trophy, man!!! Don’t listen to anyone in here. They understand quite literally nothing about the sport. As well as how much your efforts actually in fact helped not only the conversation (he meant conservation) of the area but the community as well!”

Cutler appears to be unfazed by the negative feedback on his safari kills.

His love for guns got him into trouble late last year when he was charged with drunk driving and possession of a gun while under the influence when he smashed into the back of another vehicle in Tennessee.

He reportedly offered the other motorist cash if he did not involve the police.

He also refused to take a breathalyser at the scene, but when a blood sample was drawn at a local hospital, he was found to be above the legal limit and was charged and released on bail.

Cutler is not alone in drawing flak for his hunting escapades.

In 2011, the son of US President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr and brother Eric were embroiled in controversy over a hunting safari in Zimbabwe where they took down several game, including an elephant. This incident sparked renewed calls for a ban on trophy hunting.

Then, in 2019, he was in trouble with conservationists when the Mongolian government retrospectively gave him a permit to hunt a rare argali sheep, a beloved treasure of that country.

Conservationists claim the permit system favours people who are politically connected, placing the endangered species in peril.

In February this year, Donald Trump Jr was rubbished by Italian politicians after he went duck shooting in an exclusive reserve on the fringes of the Venice lagoon and shot down many birds, including a ruddy shelduck, which are uncommon migratory birds from Asia.