A US TV presenter who travels the world hunting animals has caused fury and outrage in Scotland after shooting a goat on Islay.
Yesterday morning Larysa Switlyk posted a picture on Instagram of her holding on to a freshly killed animal. “Beautiful wild goat here on the Island of Islay in Scotland,” the caption read.
Local MSP Michael Russell was shocked by the picture and said he would seek a meeting with Roseanna Cunningham, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment.
READ MORE: Green MSP angers gamekeepers over missing bird of prey
“As the local member of @ScotParl I am raising this as a matter of urgency with @strathearnrose – if this is actually happening on #Islay, and laid on by some sort of tour company I would want to see it stopped immediately,” he tweeted.
Judy Murray also called for action: “Disgraceful. It’s a goat. And it’s in Scotland. On a beautiful island. Stop this pls @scotgov.”
BBC presenter Nicky Campbell responded directly to Switlyk: “Please don’t take this the wrong way but you are a twisted sicko.”
On her social media, the hunter says there was sport in chasing the feral goats: “Such a fun hunt!! They live on the edge of the cliffs of the island and know how to hide well. We hunted hard for a big one for 2 days and finally got on this group.
"Made a perfect 200 yard shot and dropped him with the @gunwerks and @nightforce_optics! (Good thing too because he could have ran off the cliff into the water).”
The feral goats on Islay are well known, and a number of local tour operators offer hunting packages.
As they are classed as an invasive, non-native species in the UK, hunting them on private land with the landowners permission and with regulated weapons and ammunition is perfectly legal.
Sarah Moyes, OneKind Campaigner, told The National: “It’s utterly shocking to see these images of
Larysa Switlyk and other hunters posing for photos with the wild animals they killed on a recent trip to Scotland.
“Yet again, instead of celebrating Scotland’s magnificent wildlife, we are seeing these beautiful animals exploited in the name of sport.
“This is not the kind of tourism we should be encouraging in Scotland, let alone allowing to happen in the 21st century.”
Speaking to the BBC, Russell said there was marked difference between hunting for red deer and hunting for goat.
The Brexit secretary added: “The pictures are horrific. Obviously deer culling and deer stalking is established on the island and it’s a necessary thing to do considering the lack of control of deer numbers.
“But to see people in camouflage with highly powered sniper rifles rejoicing at the killing of a goat, let alone a ram, is simply unacceptable.
“The vast majority of people would just not regard this as something that should be happening in their country.”
Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell called for a complete ban on bloodsports: “Trophy hunting is sadly alive and well in Scotland thanks to lax animal protection laws.
“The Scottish Greens are completely opposed to bloodsports – we should be positioning Scotland as a world-leading destination for ecotourism rather than chasing after the custom of a small cabal of wealthy hunters who take pleasure from killing animals.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said they would “review the situation”. “We fully understand why so many people find these images of hunted animals being held up as trophies so upsetting.
“Responsible and appropriate culling of animals is a necessary part of sustainable land management and the culling of some wild animals, including deer and goats, is not illegal.
“However, we understand the concerns raised by these images and, in light of them, the Environment Secretary will review the situation and consider whether any clarification of or changes to the law might be required.”
Hunting is still a big money maker for Scotland.
A recent report suggested a total of 910,000 visitor nights were spent in Scotland in for country sports, with a total expenditure of £155m.
Switlyk did not respond to the National’s request for a comment.
Previous posts on her Instagram from her trip to Scotland show her and partner Jason Soulliere with stags, and goats and sheep.
Switlyk says her mission is to “enlighten and educate the general population about why people hunt and fish, the importance of conservation, cultural experiences, and the rules and regulations behind it all”.
Goats first arrived in Scotland around 5000 years ago.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel