Don Jr is accused of illegally hunting rare ducks in Italy after footage of him shooting from a foxhole in camouflage gear emerges
Donald Trump Jr has been accused of illegally hunting rare ducks in Italy as Italian activists blast the First Son for his actions.
Environmentalists and local MPs have demanded an inquiry after claiming footage of a camouflaged Don Jr showed him shooting at the rare birds in a protected area.
In the video published by the American website Field Ethos, which brands itself as a 'premier lifestyle publication for the unapologetic man', a group of people can be seen taking part in a hunting trip in a lagoon close to Venice and amongst the men is Don Jr.
In the almost six-minute footage, shot just before Christmas Don Jr is seen popping out of a foxhole – in his camouflage gear - shooting at the ducks with several falling from the sky.
He is joined by a group of half a dozen other men who are enjoying their time in the marshes of north-eastern Italy.
One participant in the hunt says: 'It was a great duck shoot with a little bit of good eating in Venice,' and ends with one shooter saying: 'Don got about 50.'
At one point in the video Don Jr is surrounded by an array of dead birds including an unusual amber coloured duck which he says: 'Is a rather uncommon bird in the area. I'm not even sure what it is.'
The unidentified duck in question appears to be a Ruddy Shelduck which is a rare species in Europe and is reportedly believed to have a declining population.
Daily Mail.com and AFP has approached Donald Trump Jr for a comment.
Don Jr is surrounded by an array of dead birds including an unusual amber coloured duck which he says: 'Is a rather uncommon bird in the area. I'm not even sure what it is'
In the almost six-minute footage Don Jr is seen popping out of foxhole – in his camouflage gear - shooting at the ducks with several falling from the sky
'Don and his group had all the proper permits and were hunting in a legally allowed area, where there were countless other hunting groups present,' Andy Surabian, spokesman for Donald Trump Jr., told DailyMail.com.
'While it's unclear whether this single duck was unintentionally shot by someone in Don's hunting group, another hunting group or killed in a different manner and retrieved by the groups hunting dog, Don takes following all rules, regulations and conservation on his hunts very seriously and plans on fully cooperating with any investigation.'
According to activists, the species is protected under the European Union's Birds Directive and under Italian law it is illegal to kill the bird.
The video has sparked controversy in Italy with Italian environmentalist and Green party politician Andrea Zanoni accusing Don Jr of breaking a number of laws in the country.
Mr Zanoni, in words reported by Corriere Del Veneto, has claimed that Don Jr killed a protected species without a regular license and also hunted in a conservation area protected by the European Union.
He claimed said the video was filmed recently in the Pierimpie valley south of the city of Venice.
The area is a special conservation area protected by European regulations that is known as the Middle Lower Lagoon of Venice.
He added: 'Like any foreigner, in Italy he was not allowed to hunt by law. In fact, in our country only residents of one of the Italian regions can hunt.'
'You need a hunting licence issued by the police headquarters, but above all you need a hunting licence issued only and exclusively to residents of one of the Italian regions, a mandatory document where you can note the date, place of hunting and quantity of animals killed divided by individual species.'
Mr Zanoni has also lodged a complaint to the judiciary because 'Veneto and Italy are not the property of the USA.'
A Green member of the Italian parliament has escalated the complaint to the Environment Ministry.
Luana Zanella, an Italian MP, said: 'We are asking with a question to the Minister of the Environment Pichetto Fratin to explain what happened.
Don Jr with long time girlfriend Bettina Anderson at President Trump's inauguration. Don Jr was in Venice with Bettina who posted several pictures of their stay in the lagoon city on her Instagram, including a romantic nighttime gondola ride
'Given that the shooting of protected species is a crime, also if it is true that among those participants was present Donald Trump Jr, son of the President of the United States,' La Repubblica reported.
In a statement to MailOnline, Monica Sambo, of Democratic Party of Venice said: 'What has been reported is a very serious matter, it is unacceptable that protected species are being killed in the Venice lagoon, a protected environment that should be protected.
'If Trump Junior's involvement is confirmed, we hope he will be prosecuted like any other citizen.'
Field Ethos was founded by Don Jr and its website describes the organisation as 'old school adventurers who make no apologies for who we are'.
Don Jr was in Venice with his long time girlfriend Bettina Anderson who posted several pictures of their stay in the lagoon city on her Instagram, including a romantic night time gondola ride.
In June 2020, Don Jr found himself at the centre of another hunting controversy when an investigation discovered the businessman had shot and killed a rare Argali mountain sheep in 2019.
The BBC reported at the time that Don Jr only got permission for the shooting from the Mongolian government retroactively.
The controversy is unlikely to dampen the warm relations between President Donald Trump and Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
During Trump's inauguration Meloni was one of a handful of world leaders who attended the ceremony.
Earlier in January, Meloni visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home. Speaking to reporters at the time Trump called his Italian counterpart 'a fantastic woman' who is 'really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else'.
