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Jay Cutler is facing fierce backlash after sharing images from a recent hunting trip to South Africa, where he shot and killed a sable antelope, a species widely regarded as rare and endangered in parts of Africa, per MensJournal. Over the weekend, the ex-Chicago Bears quarterback posted a photo on Instagram showing him smiling next to the lifeless animal. “Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty,” Cutler wrote. “Sable down.”
The post immediately drew criticism, with some followers calling it tone-deaf and cruel. One commenter wrote, “Wow, Jay you killed a wild animal in a place it’s rarely hunted and it had zero idea you were a threat.” Another said, “I went to Africa on a safari and saw the most incredible wildlife and never once thought about murdering them.”
Cutler’s hunting guide, Victor Krull of Tyityaba Hunting Safaris, appeared in a follow-up video shared by Cutler. In the footage, the two men can be seen trailing the antelope before Cutler fires two shots from a distance. As the animal collapses, Cutler leaps with excitement and hugs Krull.
The sable Cutler killed is believed to be a subspecies known as the giant sable, native to Angola. According to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, fewer than 100 mature individuals of this subspecies exist today, primarily due to habitat loss, civil conflict, and illegal poaching. However, the broader sable antelope population across southern Africa is listed as “stable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Ethics vs. legality: the hunting controversy continues
Though trophy hunting in South Africa remains legal and tightly regulated, the ethics surrounding it have become more contentious in recent years. Safari camps like Tyityaba promote the experience as elite and customizable, appealing to hunters with no species restrictions and a focus on “trophy quality.”
Critics argue that no amount of regulation can justify what they view as the targeted killing of majestic animals for sport. Supporters, on the other hand, claim that such hunts contribute to conservation through hefty permit fees and careful population management.
Cutler, 42, is no stranger to controversy. Last October, he was arrested for DUI and gun possession in Tennessee. The former quarterback spent 12 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Broncos, Bears, and Dolphins.
Now, instead of headlines for his arm strength or game-day grit, Jay Cutler is making waves for a much different kind of shot.
