When Donald Trump's two sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. embarked on an African safari hunting trip last year, they probably didn't expect photos of the two posing with a slew of dead animals they shot in Zimbabwe to make their way on to YouTube and Twitter.
Now, after the photos angered animal rights groups and fans have vowed to never again watch "The Apprentice," TMZ reports a big sponsor has pulled advertising from the hit series.
Though Camping World's spots have already aired during episodes of this season's "Celebrity Apprentice", CEO Marcus Lemonis told TMZ he "wouldn't spend another nickel with them."
"I am totally disgusted by the [hunting] pics I have seen and was surprised to see them...Money is spent but wow I'm really shocked," Lemonis added.
The elder Trump addressed the hunting controversy in an interview with Access Hollywood Tuesday during which he said he hadn't seen the photos, but that he would be speaking to his sons about the issue.
When asked directly if he would ask them to stop hunting, he remarked, "I'm going to talk to them about it. I'm not a fan of the whole situation and I'm going to talk to them about it, yes."
But Trump has also been in the spotlight over his questionable environmental track record.
While trophy hunting is legal in many African countries -- often provided hunters buy expensive licenses -- conservationists believe the practice is responsible for the diminishing populations of many vulnerable, threatened or endangered species.
But trophy hunters argue license fees help pay for wildlife conservation, as the fees can be used to protect natural habitats. For instance, in some places in Africa hunters can spend up to $50,000 to shoot an elephant.
Of course, the Trump brothers aren't the only Americans to head to Africa for game hunting. According to the Guardian, wildlife organizations said last year that two-thirds of lions hunted for sport over the last 10 years were brought to America.
While Americans consider themselves a global leader in conservation, unsustainable trophy hunting is the single biggest influence that Americans have on disappearing African lions, says the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) . That's why last year IFAW and a coalition of wildlife groups petitioned the U.S. government to list the African lion as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, which would ban importing the animal and its body parts into the United States.
The lion is one animal the Trump brothers did not hunt in Zimbabwe last year, instead shooting an elephant, leopard, crocodile, kudu, civet cat and waterbuck.
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The Huffington Post | By Tara Kelly Posted: 03/15/2012 4:00 pm Updated: 03/15/2012 6:32 pm