Piers Morgan slammed Prince William’s views on conservation during a fraught interview on Good Morning Britain about hunting animals for conservation.
Piers and Susanna Reid were joined by game hunter Diggory Hadoke in the studio to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation facility at Kaziranga National Park as part of their royal visit to India.
It's safe to say @piersmorgan isn't on the same page as this trophy hunter…
Full debate: https://t.co/nk0pp64Dolhttps://t.co/swy4SJW5Vk
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 13, 2016
During the interview, Piers attacked the Prince for his recent controversial statements on hunting in which he said commercial hunting could save some endangered species.
He told ITV News: “There is a place for commercial hunting in Africa as there is around the world.
“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but the arguments for regulated, properly controlled commercial hunting is that the money that goes from shooting a very old infirm animal goes back into the protection of the other species.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travel inside the Kaziranga National Park (AP/PA)
The Prince said he didn’t want to take part, but thought paying to hunt old animals was 'a justifiable means of conserving species that are under serious threat'.
Referencing the death of Cecil the Lion by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe, Piers fumed: “I don’t like our future king, who’s supposed to be aligned to conservation and helping to save animals, actually endorsing that kind of trophy hunting.”
Arguing with Diggory, he said: “You think William has a point that it plays an important part in conservation, I think it’s like a fox saying, ‘Let me look after the hens’. You can’t be both.
Diggory posing with a buffalo he shot (ITV/screenshot)
“I find it repulsive when I see these big corpulent American tycoons coming over blasting at rhinos and posing for their lovely pictures and stuffing their heads. I feel it’s repulsive.”
Diggory accused him of taking a 'typical tabloid approach'.
He hit back at Piers: “It’s an uninformed view that doesn’t take into account the key thing, which is in areas that are managed for hunting, there are far more animals than there are in areas that are not managed for hunting. That is a verifiable fact.
I'd like to apologise to anyone not offended by my interview with the trophy-hunter earlier.
I should have been more offensive.@GMB
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 13, 2016
Nothing like a spot of trophy hunter hunting to get the morning going. @GMB
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 13, 2016
“Hunting may not be to everybody’s taste, but it works for conservation.”
Accused of being 'emotional', 'sensationalist'and 'stooping to tabloid language', Piers replied: “No, hunting’s one thing, trophy hunting is a very different thing. That’s about people posing for these sickening pictures and putting pictures of the severed heads of their prey on to their walls.”
It was left to Susanna to cool tensions as Piers and Diggory bickered over one another, saying: “I have to stop you big beasts butting heads.”
Diggory and Piers ended their interview with a tense handshake, but viewers at home were full of praise for Piers’s handling of the issue.
Bravo @piersmorgan for calling out our pretend conservationist Prince and his shameful #trophyhunting views @GMB #princewilliam
— Brett Allan (@buddhaboy74) April 13, 2016
Agree with @piersmorgan Trophy Hunting should be history. In 2016 Prince William should help achieve this goal. Not approve more killing.
— Jean Haines (@JeanHaines) April 13, 2016
Actually agreeing with Piers Morgan about trophy hunting. It's disgraceful and Prince William should fight against it.
— Jinny Nic (@nicjinny1) April 13, 2016
Completely correct @piersmorgan …. Prince William can't be Mr Conservation AND Mr Trophy Hunting!!
— Trevor Parrett (@trevparrett) April 13, 2016
