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Outrage over hunter's 'sick' Valentine's Day present

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: A woman has celebrated Valentine’s Day by shooting a giraffe before taking a photo with its heart, much to the disgust and fury of many people.

Merelize van der Mewre, 32, from South Africa, shared video on Facebook of herself shooting and killing a giraffe on February 14.

Ms van der Mewre wrote on Facebook her husband booked a “romantic getaway” to Sun City in South Africa’s North West Province to hunt one.

The 32-year-old had been looking to hunt a giraffe for about five years and wrote she got a tip-off from a friend about one.

Merelize van der Mewre, 32, holds the heart of a giraffe.
Merelize van der Mewre holds the heart of a giraffe after hunting one down with a gun. Source: Facebook/ Merelize van der Mewre

Video on her Facebook appears to show Ms van der Mewre shooting the giraffe in the neck before taking another shot while it lies on the ground.

“Was awesome to do my coup de grâce even if it wasn’t necessary,” she wrote in the video caption.

She then shared snaps celebrating with the giraffe’s dead body.

However, people were more disgusted by Ms van der Mewre’s photos wielding the deceased animal’s heart like a trophy.

“Ever wondered how big a giraffe's heart is?” she wrote.

“I'm absolutely over the moon with my big Valentine’s present.”

Giraffe heart photo leads to fury

It’s not clear if Ms van der Mewre removed the heart herself.

“Disgusting,” one man wrote.

Others called it “vile”, “sick” and “horrible”.

“What sort low, degenerate piece of c**p would do something like this?” one man wrote.

“Just when you think the bottom of the barrel has been reached something or someone like this comes along and you realise there is a new level of disgustingness reached.”

Merelize van der Mewre, 32, is pictured with a dead giraffe.
Ms van der Mewre with her kill. Source: Facebook/ Merelize van der Mewre

One woman suggested the giraffe’s heart “is way bigger” than Ms van der Mewre’s.

She later shared a video cutting the heart open.

Despite the criticism, Ms van der Mewre claims she legally hunted the giraffe and will continue to hunt for sport.

Trophy hunting is legal in South Africa.

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