Piers Morgan clashed with a man who has killed thousands of elephants and other animals during today’s Good Morning Britain.
Ron Thomson, 77, has slaughtered 5,000 elephants, 800 buffalo, 600 lions, 50 hippos and 40 leopards and felt no emotion while killing the animals in South Africa.
Ron said he killed the animals on behalf of the government to manage the animal population.
Read more: Piers Morgan reveals he would return to BGT as a judge on two conditions
The big game hunter defended his actions despite the elephant population dropping from 1.3 million to just 400,000, saying he had to kill the wild animals to protect the environment.
Piers wasn’t having any of it and asked Ron: “Did you enjoy killing those elephants?” to which Ron replied: “I feel nothing, if I had got emotionally involved in what I was doing, I would never have been able to get my job done.
“It’s the same as a brain surgeon. If he hasn’t got the mental capacity to switch people off in order to operate on them, he would never be a brain surgeon.”
Piers hit back: “There’s one key difference. Brain surgeons try to save lives, your whole life and career has been in killing great animals.”
He continued: “You’ve shown complete detachment for what you’ve done.
“Decade after decade you and your mates have gone out and blazed away at these elephants and it doesn’t seem to have had any impact on you whatsoever. Is there not a more humane way you could talk about this?”
Ron shouted: “You don’t know the effect it’s had on me. All I’m telling you was I was highly efficient at it.
“I would rather have gone in and done the shooting. I went in and got the job done. I would rather have done the shooting than get some other guy who comes in and pays the bottom dollar.
‘I felt nothing. If I had got emotionally involved in what I was doing, I would never have been able to get my job done.’
Ron Thomson, who is responsible for killing over 5000 elephants, compares the ‘mental capacity’ of his ‘job’ to a brain surgeon. pic.twitter.com/5pWcRLFxmF
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) 29 April 2019
“The amateur hunter must not be allowed into the management issues. This must be done by the experts and they must know what they are doing. It’s got nothing to do with my emotions at all.”
Many viewers watching the debate from home agreed with Piers and slammed Ron.
One person said: “What a horrific human being!! What gives him the right to kill so many innocent animals!”
Another wrote: “Piers Morgan I don’t usually agree with you on topics, but I agree with you on this subject of this man thinking it is OK to kill these beautiful elephants IT’S WRONG.”
What a horrific human being!! What gives him the right to kill so many innocent animals! Who are we to dictate and control an animals population because of their ‘damage’ to the habitat. It is human beings that are ruining our habitat and planet for all animals far more so than..
— Kirsty Eaton (@KirstyEaton3) 29 April 2019
Piers Morgan i don’t usually agree with you on topics, but i agree with you on this subject of this man thinking it is ok to kill these beautiful elephants ITS WRONG.
— Joanne (@Joanne60924011) 29 April 2019
Read more: Susanna Reid announces she’s split from boyfriend after nine months
However, others seemed to agree with Ron.
One person said: “It’s the same as doctors. If they get emotionally involved, they cannot do their jobs,” while another added: “Don’t be pathetic Piers. If your job is to shoot animals then you want to do it professionally and efficiently.”
It’s the same as doctors. If they get emotionally involved, they cannot do their jobs.
— David (@Sapper804) 29 April 2019
Don’t be pathetic Piers. If your job is to shoot animals then you want to do it professionally and efficiently. Boo Hoo-ing about it will do no good to anyone. The ONLY question is whether his argument about sustainable environments is true or not..
— Daniel Cullen (@dancullenmusic) 29 April 2019
Who do you agree with? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.