Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler is drawing criticism from fans after posting photos on social media of himself with an animal killed while hunting in Africa that could be an endangered species.
From his Instagram account “ifjayhadinstagram,” Cutler initially posted three pictures Saturday morning with an animal that appears to be a giant sable, with the caption “Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty. Sable down.”
Cutler also posted a video of the journey and process of hunting the sable and the shot that killed it. On Monday, he followed with another image of a sable Monday morning, this time with “Another great day” as the caption. Cutler also added the South African flag emoji, which could be a nod to Tyityaba Hunting Safaris, the company that arranges hunting safaris. Cutler tagged them in the three posts.
“Wow, Jay you killed a wild animal in a place it’s rarely hunted and it had zero idea you were a threat,” one Instagram user commented on a post. “Super impressive.”
“Why is this necessary?” another commented.
According to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the giant sable is nearly extinct.
“Never numerous, today the Giant Sable is critically endangered, threatened by habitat loss, civil war, and poachers,” the museum wrote on its website. “Active conservation efforts continue, but population estimates indicate there are fewer than 100 mature individuals, found only in Angola’s Cangandala National Park and the Luando Nature Reserve.”
The hunting trip is not the only incident that has led to criticism of Cutler. In October, Cutler was arrested in Tennessee and charged with driving under the influence, failure to exercise due care, violation of implied consent law and possession of a handgun while under the influence after an accident involving another vehicle.
According to a police report obtained by Chicago television station WGN, Cutler offered the driver of the vehicle he hit $2,000 to not call police and report the accident.
Cutler, 42, played 12 seasons in the NFL. He spent three seasons with the Denver Broncos, who selected him 11th overall in the 2006 draft. After making his lone Pro Bowl in 2008, he was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2009, where he played eight seasons. Cutler also spent a season with the Miami Dolphins.
NJ Advance Media’s Joey Chandler contributed to this story.
Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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