Darren and Carolyn Carter are a couple from Edmonton, Canada who recently went viral for a photograph of them kissing atop a dead lion that they killed during a trophy hunt. The photo was first posted by The Daily Mirror as part of a piece calling for the end of “Trophy Hunting”, a practice where people pay to go hunt rare or endangered species in a confined area. The practice is mostly for sport hunters to collect souvenirs from the slain animals, including body parts and pelts, and take photos.
Legelela Safaris, a South African company that specializes in trophy hunting packages for British customers, shared the photos of Darren and Carolyn on their public Facebook page with the caption, “Hard work in the hot Kalahari sun…well done. A monster lion.” The Daily Mirror discovered the photo and posted it in their story as an example of trophy hunting. The photo quickly went viral and caused an outcry on social media.
According to their website (which is currently down due to being overloaded with traffic), Legelela Safaris offers hunting packages that include giraffe hunts for £2,400, zebra hunts from £2,000, and leopard, rhino, lion and elephant prices available “on request”.
The Mirror briefly spoke to Darren and when asked about the photo said “We aren’t interested in commenting on that at all. It’s too political.” The married couple is from Edmonton, Canada and describe themselves as “passionate conservationists”.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. They Own a Taxidermy Business
According to their Facebook page, before it was hidden from public view, Darren and Carolyn own a taxidermy business called Solitude Taxidermy in Spruce Grove, Alberta. Their page featured several photos of their work which includes deer, owls, and rams.
2. They Were Contributors to Parkland Outdoors, a Network of Hunters and Content Creators
Parkland Outdoors, a company promoting hunting content from various contributors, deleted their online presence shortly after the photo of Darren and Carolyn went viral. The website currently has only dead links, their Twitter account, Facebook account, and Instagram account have been deleted, and all of the videos from their YouTube Channel have been removed. Users on social media thought that the website was owned by Darren and Carolyn.
After finding an archived snapshot of their website, it doesn’t explicitly say Darren and Carolyn are the owners of Parkland Outdoors. The archived front page from June 2018 features a quote from a man named “Fred Bear” who is a bow hunter that reads “If you consider an unsuccessful hunt to be a waste of time, then the true meaning of the chase eludes you altogether”.
Their homepage read “We are a team of outdoor enthusiasts, striving to celebrate our sport with you. Join us as we bring our experiences in the field home to you.” followed by “We are from Edmonton, Alberta and spend much of our time hunting the famous Edmonton Bowzone for Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer and Moose. Alberta is an amazing place offering some incredible experiences hunting and fishing. From elk in the foothills, bear baiting in the boreal forest, to antelope in the prairies, the opportunities are endless.” There is no mention of trophy hunting.
There is also a link at the bottom that reads “are you outgoing and enjoy filming your hunts? Click here to apply to Pro Staff positions”. There are three team members listed on the archived site that aren’t Darren or Carolyn Carter, Matt Depeel, James Hamilton, and Kevin Morris.
Parkland Outdoors Website
It’s unclear if Darren and Carolyn are the owners and operators of the company or merely content contributors to the network. The website featured a blog, videos, a team of contributors, and links to “partners” (which are still live) for various Canadian hunting supply companies. Solitude Taxidermy, Darren and Carolyn’s company, was one of the listed partners.
3. Content from Parkland Outdoors Was Featured On “The Hunt Channel”
A description on the Parkland Outdoors YouTube channel reads “Watch for us on www.huntchannel.tv this spring for full episodes Thursdays at 8:00 pm MST.” The Hunt Channel is a network based in Luverne, Alabama distributed by My Outdoor TV (MOTV) and features several amateur television shows made by hunters and outdoors enthusiasts. The channel is available on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and several other Smart TV devices.
It’s currently unknown if Darren or Carolyn were ever featured on the show or if it was content from the other creators on Parkland Outdoors. Parkland Outdoors has been removed from the list of channels on The Hunt Channel’s website. Heavy reached out to Hunt Channel President Merrill Sport for clarification but have not yet received a response.
4. A British Hunter Came to Their Defense
Take Aim Safaris Website
Carl Knight, 45, is an avid trophy hunter who came to the defense of Darren and Carolyn Carter, telling The Sun, “Why do we have to answer to your armchair conservationist readers that know nothing about Africa. This lion was bred for hunting and for lion bore export to the Far East.”
Knight is the owner of Take Aim Safari, a tour company specializing in trophy hunting and offering treks for customers to kill African animals. He justified the killing by saying the money that his clients pay is “much needed in poverty-stricken Southern Africa.” Carl Knight is the only known British hunter to have openly bragged about killing Africa’s “Big Five” at risk species which include lions, leopards, and elephants.
5. Users on Social Media Condemned the Couple
Sic Twitter on them. Names: Darren and Carolyn Carter, from Edmonton, Alberta.
After The Mirror posted their article, users on Twitter were quick to take up arms against Darren and Carolyn for the photo of them kissing next to the dead lion. “Darren and Carolyn Carter. I hope this kiss makes you famous.” posted @DannyjClayton. Other users joined in and were able to identify the couple and find their personal information before they scrubbed it off the internet.
@josotoo @MerlinofCanada Darren and Carolyn Carter of Sprucegrove, Alberta. They run a taxidermy shop.
In addition to the doxxing attempts and hunting for their personal information, users had some choice names for Darren and Carolyn. Calling the couple “vile”, “a**holes” and “giant pieces of s***” among other things.