Multimillionaire mining company boss and wildlife conservation board member poses with a leopard that he shot dead during a hunting trip in Africa.
Mark Bristow, the chief executive of Randgold, was seen posing with a dead leopard in a picture that was highlighted by the Financial Times.
The picture of Mark posing with the dead leopard comes amidst the growing debate over developing countries using their names to hunt and take part in hunting trips.
Reports suggest that the picture of 59-year-old Mark Bristow with the leopard was featured in the 2014 newsletter and on the website of Hunters & Guides Africa.
From 2005 to 2014, pictures showed him posing with the carcasses of a hippo, antelope, gazelle, lion, buffalo, and zebra.
Randgold, a mining company, runs its main gold mining operations in Mali and is connected with a number of wildlife conservation projects.
In 2016, the company of Mark started a partnership with the Mali Elephant Project.
According to reports, the company has giver around $500,000 USD towards the project since 2014.
In a number of images that were published by Hunters & Guides, they showed Mark posing with elephants that he shot dead during his hunting trips in Africa.
Randgold also gives financial support to Panthera, a society that protects wild cats.
The Global Big Cat Protection Society appointed Mr. Bristow to its Preservation Council.
Randgold, the mining company, defended the hunting trips and killings of Mark Bristow.
In a statement that they released, they said, “Legal, well-regulated hunting can and does deliver benefits for both wildlife conservation and the livelihoods of indigenous communities living with wildlife.”
The statement added, “Led by Mark Bristow, Randgold Resources has invested in a wide range of biodiversity programs in its host countries … and is bringing together conservation professionals and scientists to develop a tailored method for the mining industry in Africa to restore the continent’s biodiversity.”
Leopards and African Elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.